Reformative training for drug offender involved in theft of $350k

SINGAPORE - A youth who worked with two men to steal $350,000 and was later found with traces of methamphetamine in his urine was ordered to undergo at least a year of reformative training on Dec 27.

Young offenders sent for reformative training are detained in a centre to observe a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.

Vietnamese Nguyen Nhut Anh, 20, was just 18 years old when he worked with the two Singaporean men in the heist in September 2023.

In August, he pleaded guilty to a drug consumption charge and abetting the theft.

He was the third person linked to the heist to be dealt with in court.

His accomplices – Darren Lim Jun Hao, 24, and Tobias Tan Wei An, 25 –

were dealt with in court earlier in 2024

.

Before the heist took place, Anh was first caught in Boon Lay Place around 2.40am on Sept 26, 2023, as the arresting officers suspected that he had taken drugs.

He provided urine samples at the Central Narcotics Bureau headquarters and was released on bail.

Meanwhile, some time before Sept 29, 2023, Tan told Lim and Anh about a plan to steal the $350,000.

In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang said Anh was initially suspicious of the arrangement.

Tan then assured him that the victim would not dare alert the police as the money was “not clean”.

Court documents did not disclose how the victim had obtained the cash and how Tan knew about the money.

The trio agreed to take part in the heist.

While out on bail, Anh received a message from an unknown person on messaging app Telegram on the morning of Sept 29, 2023. He was told to get ready to commit the offence.

He left his home and went downstairs to join his two accomplices, who were in a car nearby.

Lim drove the car to a location within an unnamed industrial area and an unknown man, who drove a black Mercedes-Benz car, turned up about 30 minutes later.

Tan and Lim got out of the car and spoke to the man for about 10 minutes. Tan then left with the man and Lim returned to the car.

Lim drove to a location along Ang Mo Kio Street 12 and told Anh that the victim would identify himself as KSH.

Shortly after 11.30am, Anh saw the victim walking towards the car. The man identified himself as KSH, and, upon Anh’s instructions, placed a sling bag containing the $350,000 in the boot.

Anh then slammed the boot shut and Lim sped off in the vehicle, leaving him behind.

The victim sprinted after the car while Anh ran home.

Anh was arrested on Sept 30, 2023, after KSH made a police report about the incident. Anh’s urine samples taken earlier were found to contain traces of methamphetamine in October.

On Dec 27, defence lawyer Ashvin Hariharan told the court that Anh will be appealing against the sentence. His bail has been set at $15,000.