You’ve heard of a hit-and-run. You’ve heard of a dine-and-dash.
Now get ready for the latest instalment in the world of crime: the gold rush.
On 23 April at about 5:35 pm, a 14-year-old boy grabbed two gold chains worth $23,000 and ran out of the store.
The incident happened at Chung Hwa Jade & Jewellery Co, located on the second floor of People’s Park Complex in Chinatown.
The store owners, Chen Weixiong, 45, and his younger brother Chen Weixin, 39, mentioned that the security camera footage showed the teenager lingering outside the store for around ten minutes before he decided to enter.
When interviewed, the brothers said that the teenager was tall and thin, and he was wearing a mask at the time of the incident. He was also not in a school uniform, so his presence didn’t arouse suspicion as they couldn’t gauge his age properly.
The Opportunist
The teenager had walked into the store and claimed to have wanted to buy 50-gram and 80-gram gold chains. After Chen Weixiong took out the two gold chains from the display cabinet, the boy changed his mind and asked to look at two thicker gold chains.
Per the teenager’s request, Chen Weixiong then took out two more chains weighing 100 grams and 130 grams each, worth $23,000 in total.
Meanwhile, he put the 50-gram and 80-gram gold chains into the display cabinet.
Just as Chen Weixiong’s attention was diverted, the teenager quickly snatched the two gold chains and dashed out of the store.
Mission Not Accomplished
However, the teenager didn’t manage to get very far.
After seeing him rush out of the store with the chains, Chen Weixiong immediately ran after him. Chen Weixin followed suit after seeing his brother make the chase.
The teenager ran for about 100 metres and stopped to hesitate when he came to the intersection outside People’s Park Complex as he couldn’t decide whether to run left or right.
The two brothers seized this opportunity to rush forward and grab the teenager. They brought him back to the shop and called the police.
Let’s just say we’re not hiring this boy to represent the nation in any sporting events with sprint races.
When in Doubt, Play the Victim
After the teenager was arrested, he begged the brothers to let him go and claimed that he only did this because he owed a debt to two tattooed men.
He said that these men had coerced him to steal the gold jewellery to repay the debt, which is why he had committed the theft.
He may not have gained anything from stealing, but he’s going to win a substantial amount of cash when that hogwash earns him the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
Not the First Time
This incident was not the owners’ first experience with theft. On 21 September 2010, Mark Tan Kok Leng used keys that he had improvised to unlock the roller shutters of Chung Hwa Jade & Jewellery Co and took $475,473 worth of jewellery.
In earlier incidents, he had also stolen from jewellery stores in Tiong Bahru Plaza and Jurong Point, totalling his loot to $543,856. He had also committed other crimes, such as molestation and breaking into houses.
Tan was given seven years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane.
Similar Situation
In the realm of criminals with an unbelievable amount of chutzpah, this theft is reminiscent of a recent dine-and-dash incident.
On 8 April, SMÖÖbar @ Prinsep Street uploaded a Facebook post which informed the public that four customers had left the establishment without paying their bill worth S$275. The restaurant thought it was an accident at first.
The restaurant managed to find two of the male customers’ identity a few days later. One of them had been previously arrested for shoplifting. These two men had also been involved in other dine-and-dash incidents and had racked up more than $2,000 in unpaid bills. Both of them were eventually arrested.
From scamming SMÖÖbar to being behind bars, now at least they can dine on sludgy prison food and they’ll have nowhere to dash.
You can watch this video about this funniest crime ever:
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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