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Tiong Bahru resident shares fresh footage of theft attempt after earlier complaint over parcel probe delays
A Tiong Bahru resident has shared fresh CCTV footage of an alleged theft attempt outside her home, months after raising concerns about prolonged delays in a separate parcel theft investigation. The latest video, posted on 1 October 2025, shows a man and woman tampering with her shoe cabinet before leaving abruptly.
A Tiong Bahru resident, identified online as Vanessa Chia, has once again highlighted security concerns outside her home by sharing CCTV footage of a new alleged theft attempt.
On 1 October 2025, Chia uploaded a video to the Facebook group Complaint Singapore.
The recording, timestamped 29 September 2025 at around 1.35am, shows a man in a black T-shirt and shorts walking past her unit, followed closely by a woman in a white dress.
Duo caught tampering with shoe cabinet
After passing the unit, the pair turned back.
The man, wearing glasses, was seen casually opening Chia’s shoe cabinet.
He then took out a bicycle air pump and began to play with it before returning the item.
As the man closed the cabinet, the woman appeared to notice the CCTV camera.
She alerted her companion, after which the pair quickly walked away.
The shoe cabinet had a warning sign pasted on it, featuring a screenshot from an earlier incident in which a parcel was allegedly stolen from the same location.
Social media reactions and suggestions
Chia’s latest post sparked strong responses from online users.
Several commenters suspected the pair might be foreigners and expressed disbelief at their boldness despite the warning notice.
Others urged Chia to make another police report, noting that such behaviour warranted official follow-up.
Some suggested she join a local Community on Patrol group to help deter crime in residential estates.
Ongoing frustration with unresolved May 2025 theft
The incident comes months after Chia publicly voiced dissatisfaction over a separate case of parcel theft outside her unit earlier this year.
She has previously raised concerns about what she described as prolonged investigative delays and poor communication from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
In May 2025, a parcel was allegedly stolen in broad daylight from her cabinet, despite the presence of CCTV cameras. She filed a police report on 26 May 2025 and provided video evidence.
Chia’s parcel theft case was initially assigned to an Investigation Officer (IO) from Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Centre.
A month later, she was informed it had been reassigned to another officer, who requested she resubmit all evidence.
Within four days, the case was transferred again, this time to another IO from Tanglin Division.
On 2 July 2025, Tan informed her by phone that the alleged perpetrator had been identified but that resolution would take time due to the suspect’s multiple pending cases.
Chia escalated the matter by appealing to her Member of Parliament, Josephine Teo, during a Meet-the-People Session on 28 July 2025.
However, she received no substantive updates, with the MPS office stating on 4 August 2025 that SPF would respond only after further review.
Reflecting on the prolonged process, Chia at the time described the experience as disheartening and said it underscored how limited the options are for victims in such cases. She noted that the rise of online shopping had made parcel theft a growing problem in residential areas.
