SINGAPORE - Three members of the public have been commended by the police for helping to foil a snatch theft attempt at Marsiling Lane on Oct 10.

The trio - Mr Teoh Kwan Yi Gabriel, Mr Muhammad Firdauz Mansor and Mr Norazam Sumadi - were lauded at a ceremony held at Jurong Division on Tuesday (Oct 11), according to a police news release.

On Oct 10 at about 3pm, a 30-year-old woman was at the void deck of Block 214, Marsiling Lane, when the suspect suddenly approached and snatched her gold necklace. The suspect then ran towards the main road.

The victim's cries for help attracted the attention of Mr Teoh, Mr Firdauz and Mr Norazam, who chased the suspect and detained him along Marsiling Lane.

The police arrested the suspect after being alerted to the incident and the necklace was recovered from the suspect.

The suspect will be charged with an offence of Snatch Theft. The offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term of not less than one year and not more than seven years, and by caning.

Commander of Jurong Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Koh Wei Keong said: "It is indeed heartening to see the community coming together to fight crime. The selflessness and public-spiritedness displayed by the men are indeed commendable."

The police advised members of the public to adopt the following crime prevention measures when encountering such incidents:

Avoid exposing your valuables unnecessarily.

Be alert of your surroundings at all times, especially beware suspicious persons who could be following you.

Be wary of strangers approaching you or trying to distract you.

When confronted, you should remain calm. You should try to take note as much details of the suspect as you possibly can, such as his appearance, clothing, height and other physical description.

You should also take note of the suspect's direction and mode of escape. Call '999' as soon as it is safe to do so.