In a plot right out of an action thriller, two men who attempted to flee Singapore with $75,000 in stolen cash were pulled off a Frankfurt-bound flight moments before it was set to take off for Germany.
Thrilling Bust: Frankfurt-Bound Plane Ordered To Return To Gate To Offload Currency Exchange Criminals
Let’s review what happened because part of me still cannot understand how this heist even occurred in the first place:
- Between April 18-21, 2023, two men made four visits to a currency exchange office on Coleman Street in Singapore, engaging in currency exchange without any fraud or deceit
- Now familiar with the shop and proprietor and having gained a degree of trust, on April 21st the two men asked for 75,000USD in exchange for the equivalent in SGD
- At 4:30pm, the two men arrived a the currency exchange and asked to “inspect” the 75,000USD
- The men packed the money into plastic bags and then placed it in a briefcase
- But when handing back the briefcase to the proprietor, it would not fit through the gap at the counter (used, like a bank with bulletproof glass, for protection)
- So the men allegedly placed the money into a smaller leather black bag so it would fit through the gap
- This was the con – the money didn’t really go into the smaller black bag
- After handing back the bag, the men promised they would return shortly
- An hour passed and they did not show, prompting the currency exchange to look more closely at the black leather bag
- Inside the black leather bag was small US notes sandwiched by $100 notes and fake Euro notes
- Police were notified and through the use of CCTV (Singapore is like a prison in that respect), the men were tracked within eight hours…
- …To Changi Airport (SIN), where they were onboard a flight to Frankfurt that had just pushed back
- Police intervened just in time, ordering the plane to return to the gate and pulling the men off the fligh
- The stolen US currency was found on the men, who were arrested
- Both men face up to seven years in prison and a fine
I’ve been swindled many times over, so don’t confuse my skepticism with any sort of smugness. But wouldn’t you want to check the bag right away to ensure the money was there? Were these guys so swift that the proprietors really did not notice? Or did they think that with so many cameras in their shop, no one would be stupid enough to try something?
CONCLUSION
Crime doesn’t pay, especially in Singapore. From the thriving city state that still performs public caning and executes drug dealers, police sprang into action when a currency exchange bureau reported $75,000 had been stolen. Tracing the suspects through CCTV led to a last-minute phone call at Changi Airport to order a Frankfurt-bound plane to return to the gate so that the two men, still unidentified, could be arrested. Well done Singapore Police Force!
(images: Singapore Police Force // H/T: SINJim)
Seven years for $75k. That’s kinda sad but they got what they deserved.
The thing is Singapore is in the top five for most security cameras/area so it’s really hard to get away with most crimes.
TYPO in the last paragraph of the above story:
…..to order a Frankfurt-bound GATE to return to the gate…
ROTFL, if you want to break the law, Singapore is not the place to do it. They no doubt now face a long prison sentence and who knows, maybe the cane.
On the other hand, somehow Singapore has a low murder rate, few robberies, less drug use than America, Nigeria, Mexico, France.
Only $75,000? They could have swindled an American elderly person and gotten more and get away with it. Then send the elderly person to V… (name redacted to protect the guilty), a New York hospice that allows death of hospice patients with no terminal illness by putting them to sleep with sedation over a period of a week or two.
I don’t know about you all, but I found the guys putting money into plastic bags and into a black briefcase suspicious. Why would the currency exchanger allow them to do that and not feel somewhat weirded out?
Maybe the burlap sack with the “$” printed on the side has a different meaning in certain cultures?
I wonder how often folks do a legitimate $75k cash exchange in currency exchange spot?
Singapore executes man for helping buy 2 pounds of cannabis https://apnews.com/article/singapore-death-penalty-drugs-execution-b6751a70ba999a963e5719069f3538d5
Matthew, if you think Singapore is like a prison because of their use of CCTV, then you must dislike London as well.
Idiots. They could have walked into a Target in California, and walk away with that amount of merchandise. Or smash some windows, grab the loot, and be lauded as social justice heroes.
When Whole Foods closes a brand new store, you know there’s issues. Rampant theft and drug use in bathrooms led grocery giant to close flagship downtown San Francisco store.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/whole-foods-san-francisco-closed-bob-lee-b2318530.html
San Francisco n Oakland used to be nice until late 90s then garbage criminals blacks n homeless ruined both cities..got won’t police either town..lowlife Newsome n leftist bums..
Wow, racist much? I hope this comment is removed.
Really stupid on them to take so much time to flee. They should have fled to Malaysia or on the first flight out of the country but probably wasted 8 hrs celebrating their heist