Man Jailed for Stealing a Basin Tap from a Police Station to Use in His Own Home

What do you do if you realise that your house basin tap is spoilt?

Do you look for your trusted handyman? Do you go down to COURTS? Or do you just go around Singapore, looking for a tap that looks like yours, and simply unscrew it and bring it home?

50-year-old Seah Kian Li decided to do the latter, and gave the word “irony” a whole new level altogether: out of millions of taps in Singapore, he stole one from a—wait for it—police station.

Or, to be even more specific, a Police Division HQ that’s swamping with men in blue who breathe and eat investigations.

Woodlands West Neighbourhood Police Centre

In March this year, Seah was in Woodlands West Neighbourhood Police Centre to make bail for his brother. When he was on the third storey, he went to the toilet and that was when he decided to bail not just his brother, but also the basin.

The reason? It was loose, and he realised it would be suitable for use in his own home.

Without a need for any tools, he unscrewed the tap from the sink and took it home.

He must’ve thought he had done a clean job, considering that no one noticed that until later that month when the cleaning supervisor realised the disappearance of the tap.

She reported it to the station’s facility manager, and when it was confirmed that the contractors had not removed it, the incident was reported to the divisional logistics officer.

The officer conducted his investigations and from the CCTV, it was established that Seah was the culprit.

The officer then made a police report at the same police station, because law by law mah.

Home Raided for a Basin Tap

On the same day, Seah’s home was raided, and they found the basin tap affixed to his home toilet basin.

Here’s a fake version of what went down:

Police Officer: Sir, we need to raid your house

Seah: Why?

Police Officer: We’re looking for a tap

Seah: Wait—my house is tapped? Can’t be—

Police Officer: No, sir: we’re looking for a basin tap.

(The above scene is completely made up so Mr Policemen, please don’t raid our office)

The tap, which is valued at $171.90, was seized and Seah was arrested.

Jailed for Three Months

For the offence, Seah was sentenced to three months of imprisonment. According to the Deputy Public Prosecutor, Seah has a string of pervious offences dating all the way back to 1996, including housebreaking and drug-related offences.

Well, at least there should be a working tap in prison.

I think so.