4 arrested for suspected pawning of fake gold jewellery
Photo: Singapore Police Force
Tuesday, Mar 15, 2016
SINGAPORE - Three men and a woman have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the pawning of fake gold jewellery.
Police received a report on Mar 12 about a cheating case involving the pawning of fake gold jewellery, said a police statement today. Officers from Central Division conducted extensive ground operations and managed to establish the suspects involved in the scam.
Two days later on Mar 14 at 9pm, the officers arrested a 33-year-old man in Eunos in an ambush operation.
Through follow-up investigations, the three other suspects, aged between 21 and 55, were arrested on the same day in Eunos, Outram and Jurong.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the 33-year-old man had produced the fake jewellery at home by substituting some parts with real gold, with the aid of improvised tools.
The fake gold jewellery were then pawned as genuine ones in return for cash.
The suspect is also believed to have advertised the fake gold jewellery online and sold it to unsuspecting victims, as well as advertised and sold pawn tickets online.
The suspects are believed to be involved in at least 22 cases of cheating amounting to about $55,000 since February 2016.
The four may face a maximum jail term of up to 10 years.
Police would like to advise pawnshop owners to be vigilant against a similar ruse and to check and verify the identities of individuals who pawn items at their premises, as well as their guarantors, before parting with their money.
Where possible, pawnshop owners are encouraged to carry out detailed examination of the pawned items. Online shoppers are also advised to exercise caution when purchasing merchandise purportedly to be authentic.
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