Duo charged with stealing $300 grocery vouchers by breaking into letterboxes in Tampines

Grocery vouchers have been stolen from letterboxes at locations across Singapore. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

SINGAPORE - A man and woman linked to a series of thefts of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers from Housing Board letterboxes across Singapore have been charged in court.

Miqheul Wahyudean Abdullah, 24, was charged with three counts of theft, while Irwani Nur Amira Azami, 23, was charged with two counts of theft.

Miqheul and Irwani were arrested on Wednesday (Oct 14) for allegedly stealing Budget vouchers from HDB letterboxes.

They had allegedly worked together some time between 8pm on Oct 6 and 3.30am on Oct 7 to pry open letterboxes at Block 872 Tampines Street 86.

The duo stand accused of stealing 15 grocery vouchers valued at $10 each from the letterboxes of two victims. The amount allegedly stolen totalled $300.

Miqheul had allegedly stolen vouchers at the same location on a separate occasion, and was charged with an additional count of theft.

The duo are set to appear in court again on Nov 6, as investigations into their case are still ongoing.

If convicted of theft, an offender may be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

Separately, the police also arrested five others - three men and two women - for their suspected involvement in the theft of these grocery vouchers at other locations across Singapore.

A 37-year-old woman was previously reported to have been apprehended on Sunday for allegedly stealing Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block in Toa Payoh Lorong 7.

Also arrested were a 41-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman on Wednesday for the alleged theft of the vouchers at a residential block in Marsiling Road.

On Thursday, two 54-year-old men were arrested in separate cases for allegedly stealing vouchers at flats in Telok Blangah Rise and Holland Close.

Police investigations into these cases are ongoing, but in a statement on Thursday, the Singapore Police Force said that these theft cases are "likely unrelated and opportunistic in nature".

The police have also received reports of similar incidents in other residential estates and said they are intensifying their efforts "with a view to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice".

Members of the public who are eligible for the Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers are advised to collect them from their letterbox as soon as possible, and to keep their letterbox secured at all times.

Those who suspect that their vouchers have been stolen should make a police report immediately and call the Grocery Voucher hotline on 1800-2222-888 to request that their vouchers be voided and replaced. Voided vouchers cannot be redeemed.

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