Police have arrested a 46-year-old who, hands clutching bars of gold, rushed out of a pawnshop in Bukit Merah Central.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon, at about 2.15pm, when the suspect entered the pawnshop on the pretext of buying gold bars. Staff handed over three bars for viewing. While appearing to view the gold bars, he suddenly bolted from the premises with the valuables, fleeing towards Jalan Bukit Merah.

After extensive investigations, officers from Clementi Police Division tracked down the suspect and arrested him early Wednesday morning, in the vicinity of Sims Avenue.

They recovered two of the gold bars, valued at about $9,400, which were in the suspect's possession. On the same afternoon, officers recovered the remaining gold bar, valued at about $6,200, from a pawnshop in South Bridge Road.

If found guilty of theft-in-dwelling, the suspect faces up to seven years' imprisonment and a fine.