Man under probe for making 'car stolen' report

A 30-year-old man suspected of making a false report that his car had been stolen is under investigation, police said.

The man lodged a report on Friday afternoon that his vehicle was stolen from Block 271, Punggol Walk, police said in a statement yesterday.

He said the car was parked at the block on Thursday, and was discovered missing in the early morning on Friday. The man alleged that someone could have stolen his vehicle, police said.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have made a false report on the alleged theft of his motor vehicle so as to disclaim liabilities arising from a separate case of driving under disqualification of all classes of licence," the statement said.

The Straits Times understands that the man is believed to have driven the car without a valid licence and was involved in a traffic accident before reporting it stolen. The car was later found at Block 687, Woodlands Drive, and towed away for investigation.

Investigations against the man are ongoing. Anyone convicted of giving any information which he knows to be false to a public servant can be jailed for up to one year and/or fined $5,000.

The police reminded the public that police resources could have been put to better use in dealing with real crimes and emergencies instead of being used to investigate false reports or information.

"Those who lodge false police reports or provide false information will face serious consequences under the law," the police said in the statement.

Chew Hui Min

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 12, 2017, with the headline Man under probe for making 'car stolen' report. Subscribe