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http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_562417.html
The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.com
Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Aug 5, 2010
Thief junks valuable stamps
By Khushwant Singh
SORTING his loot after a burglary, Matthew Ong Joo Wah kept the $180,000 in cash and foreign currencies, the two Rolex watches worth a total of $11,000, and threw away four albums containing old China stamps, which he thought was worthless.
Only after he was arrested about two weeks later, did he learn that the stamps were valued at $100,000. By then, they could not be found.
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of housebreaking on Thursday. As he had several previous convictions for theft and cheating, District Judge Sarjit Singh called for corrective training and preventive detention reports. Such longer and tougher detention is meant for seasoned offenders.
The court heard that at 12pm on March 11, Ong noticed that an apartment at Le Meritt condominium in Telok Kurau appeared unoccupied. He sneaked in after forcing open the balcony's sliding door.
Finding a safe in a bedroom, he wrapped it in a blanket and carried it to his car. After he forced the safe open, he kept the money, the watches but disposed off the stamp albums at the rubbish collection point.
Ong then went to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), where he sold the watches to an illegal second-hand dealer and gambled some of the money away. The next day, he flew off to Vietnam with his Vietnamese girlfriend. There he gave her $6,000.
He was arrested at the Causeway checkpoint upon his return on March 26. Cash amounting to $113,400 was recovered from him.
Ong also admitted to breaking into two other homes and stealing a total of $17,000 in cash and $25,000 worth of jewellery and watches. He sold off the stolen items and then gambled away the money at RWS.
The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.com
Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Aug 5, 2010
Thief junks valuable stamps
By Khushwant Singh
SORTING his loot after a burglary, Matthew Ong Joo Wah kept the $180,000 in cash and foreign currencies, the two Rolex watches worth a total of $11,000, and threw away four albums containing old China stamps, which he thought was worthless.
Only after he was arrested about two weeks later, did he learn that the stamps were valued at $100,000. By then, they could not be found.
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of housebreaking on Thursday. As he had several previous convictions for theft and cheating, District Judge Sarjit Singh called for corrective training and preventive detention reports. Such longer and tougher detention is meant for seasoned offenders.
The court heard that at 12pm on March 11, Ong noticed that an apartment at Le Meritt condominium in Telok Kurau appeared unoccupied. He sneaked in after forcing open the balcony's sliding door.
Finding a safe in a bedroom, he wrapped it in a blanket and carried it to his car. After he forced the safe open, he kept the money, the watches but disposed off the stamp albums at the rubbish collection point.
Ong then went to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), where he sold the watches to an illegal second-hand dealer and gambled some of the money away. The next day, he flew off to Vietnam with his Vietnamese girlfriend. There he gave her $6,000.
He was arrested at the Causeway checkpoint upon his return on March 26. Cash amounting to $113,400 was recovered from him.
Ong also admitted to breaking into two other homes and stealing a total of $17,000 in cash and $25,000 worth of jewellery and watches. He sold off the stolen items and then gambled away the money at RWS.