Two women conned by men pretending to sell handbags; both lured into apartment and robbed at knifepoint

On May 25, 2016, two men rented a condominium unit for the sole purpose of carrying out a robbery. Under the pretense of hawking handbags, the men lured two women into an apartment at Lorong Limau and reportedly threatened them at knifepoint, tying up their hands and feet with tape. They eventually absconded with a Rolex watch worth $31,000 and a cheque for $100,000.

One of the victims was a 47-year-old lady who owned a branded bag boutique in Far East Plaza, and one of the accomplices, a 43-year-old man, was her former customer. The man is currently under trial, while his partner in crime, a 39-year-old man, has been sentenced to seven years in prison and 12 cane strokes.

This is how it all went down.

The suspect called up the store owner a day before the robbery took place and informed her he had a selection of branded handbags he wanted to display for sale in her store. He then made arrangements for her to view the collection at the apartment. Following that phone call, he dialled up the accused and revealed he had a “job” for him, according to STOMP.

The next day, the accused brought his accomplice to Whampoa Market, where they shopped for tapes, a knife and a pre-paid SIM card. The suspect promised half the loot to the accused, and gave him instructions to tie up the victims during the heist later. After their preparations at the apartment, they headed to Grand Hyatt Hotel to pick up the two women.

It was only after both unsuspecting ladies stepped into the apartment’s bedroom that the accused brandished his knife and pointed it at one of the victim’s throat, demanding she give him her handbag. She refused, and received a punch in the stomach and on her lips.

The accused proceeded to issue a warning: “If you try anything funny, I am capable of anything.”

Both women were tied up and gagged, and the accused snapped photos of their Identity Cards. Eventually, the men discovered a Rolex watch in their belongings and pilfered it as well, along with a $100,000 cheque they forced one of the women to write. Two hours after the ordeal, when the men had cashed out the cheque, the victims were released with a warning not to file a police report.