Jail for man who blindfolded, cable-tied woman for five hours in warehouse
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SINGAPORE – In order to clear his gambling debts to a friend, a man agreed to help the friend recover money from another debtor.
Wu Zhibing, 36, and the friend, Lin Mei, 42, came up with a plan to lure the debtor into a warehouse and force her to pay her debt.
They managed to do so and held the woman there for five hours. They blindfolded her, tied her hands and legs, and sat her down on a chair.
On May 21, Wu pleaded guilty to wrongfully confining the debtor. He was sentenced to eight months’ jail. Lin’s case will be mentioned on July 16.
Court documents revealed that by November 2023, Wu, a Chinese national, had owed Lin, a Taiwanese, around $25,000 through gambling. The pair were friends and lived together in the same home.
On Feb 27, 2024, Wu informed Lin that he wanted to return to China as his work permit had expired. Wu’s occupation was not revealed in court.
Lin then told Wu that a Singaporean woman owed her $25,000, and she wanted his help to teach her a lesson. In return, Lin offered to give Wu between $10,000 and $20,800.
Wu agreed to help after hearing the offer. They then formed a plan to lure the woman into a warehouse in Jalan Buroh near Jurong.
Before they executed the plan on Feb 28, 2024, Wu went to cover the warehouse’s CCTV cameras with a cloth.
Around 2am that day, Lin called the woman to ask her to meet so that they could go to a golf course together. When the pair met up, Lin asked the woman to drive her to the warehouse instead, telling her there was money there.
The pair arrived at the warehouse some time around 3.30am.
Lin told the woman there was money in a piece of luggage, but they had to look for it. The woman agreed to help.
When the woman squatted down to look for the piece of luggage, Wu appeared and covered her head with a bag. Wu and Lin then held the woman down and tied her hands and legs with cable ties. They blindfolded her and put her in a chair.
The woman was held there for five hours as Lin repeatedly asked her for money.
They released her only after the woman’s friend agreed to pay Lin $30,000 at 5pm that day.
The woman made a police report upon her release, and Wu was arrested that day.
Those found guilty of wrongful confinement for the purpose of extorting confessions or compelling restoration of property can be jailed for up to three years and fined.
