On Saturday evening, 28 July, the ValueMax pawnshop outside the Boon Lay MRT was held up at knife and gunpoint in what appears to have been a botched robbery attempt. The culprit apparently ordered the staff of the pawnshop to hand over cash and jewellery with a gun and threatened to blow up the store when they refused.
The gun is believed to be a replica.
The man then threw what he claimed to be an explosive device onto the counter before fleeing the shop empty-handed. A staff immediately tossed the device outside and then called the police. The incident resulted in the police closing off a section of the train station a few hours as they conducted their investigations.
According to reports, that section of the street was closed off from about 4.30pm onward (just after the incident) and nearby stores were asked to shut down as investigations were conducted. Staffers from stores a little further away were allowed to return about an hour later while those closer to the ValueMax were only permitted to re-enter their establishments about 8pm.
According to a post on the Singapore Police Force (SPF) Facebook page, the ‘device’ was not an actual explosive and they are still looking for the man who is about 1.75m, last seen wearing a pink turban, blue jacket and long brown pants. The police have classified the case under Section 4(a) of the Arms Offence Act.
The SPF is asking anyone with relevant information to contact the hotline (1800-255-0000) or submit their information onliine at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
