A 28-year-old Chinese national has been jailed for eight months after asking a friend to bring S$50,000 in cash to his hotel room, grabbing the money and running away.
The man pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and was sentenced at the State Courts on Tuesday, 8 September.
According to court proceedings reported by Lianhe Zaobao, the accused had entered Singapore on 26 December 2025 and regularly visited the casino at Marina Bay Sands.
It was there that he met the victim, a 37-year-old Chinese national. The pair became friends and exchanged contact details.
Asked Friend to Lend Him S$50,000
On the evening of 7 January 2026, the accused called the victim and asked to borrow S$50,000.
He claimed that he had lost money gambling and needed the funds to tide him over.
The victim agreed to the loan. As he was already at the casino when he received the call, he withdrew S$50,000 in cash from his gambling account before taking a private-hire car to Orchard Hotel, where the accused was staying.
A female relative of the accused was initially inside the hotel room, but left shortly after the victim arrived and waited near the lift.
The victim placed the S$50,000 on a table.
Instead of discussing repayment terms, the accused grabbed the cash and ran out of the room.
The victim immediately chased after him, and the two men struggled in the hotel corridor.
Threw Cash on Floor During Struggle
During the struggle, the accused threw some of the cash onto the floor, apparently in an attempt to divert the victim's attention.
CCTV footage played in court showed the accused's female relative picking up some of the scattered money before leaving in a lift.
When the victim bent down to retrieve the cash on the floor, the accused took the opportunity to escape in another lift.
The victim then contacted the police.
In total, the accused and his relative got away with S$22,500.
They fled separately before meeting again at Changi Airport. The accused also bought a flight ticket to China.
Arrested at Changi Airport Hours Later
The pair did not make it out of Singapore.
They were arrested at Changi Airport in the early hours of 8 January. Police recovered S$8,454 from them.
The female relative was a minor and was charged in the Youth Courts after her arrest. Her charge was subsequently withdrawn, although the reason was not disclosed in court.
Prosecutors sought eight months' jail for the accused, pointing to his attempt to leave Singapore after the offence.
His lawyer also asked for a sentence of no more than eight months and said the accused had agreed for the recovered cash to be returned to the victim.
The court ultimately sentenced him to eight months' imprisonment.
Under Section 379 of Singapore's Penal Code, theft can be punished with up to three years' jail, a fine, or both.
