Pickpocket targets elderly woman at Chinatown supermarket, slices open bag and steals wallet

An elderly woman allegedly ran into a pickpocket while shopping in a market at Chinatown on April 29, losing her wallet and keys as a result.

Madam Fan, 80, who stays at Block 4 Sago Lane, told Lianhe Wanbao that she would visit the Chinatown Market every Sunday to do her grocery shopping.

On the day of the incident, she had visited the market as per usual and was buying some prawns at a stall, when she discovered that she had been pickpocketed.

Madam Fan said that she had placed her belongings in a blue cloth bag, and there was about $60 cash in her wallet, along with three keys and tissue paper. 

She also had a photocopy of her IC with her.

Madam Fan found a tear on her cloth bag measuring about 8cm in length, allegedly slit open by the culprit. 

She added that the culprit had been quite deft, and she had not noticed anything amiss until she spotted the gaping hole in her bag.

Everything happened within two minutes, she said.

While Madam Fan said that she was concerned about the loss of money, losing her keys was even worse, in her opinion.

This was because she did not have a phone on her, and had to rely on her neighbours for help to call for a locksmith.

Engaging the locksmith’s services also cost her a further $100. 

Madam Fan did however, find a ‘silver lining’ in the ordeal:

“Luckily I didn’t bring my IC, or it could have been even more troublesome.”