Western Union armed robbery suspect taken back to the scene of crime

Update:

Hashim Hamzah was jailed for four years and nine months on May 2, 2018. Read the full story here.

Original article:

The 58-year-old man who allegedly robbed a Western Union branch at Ubi Avenue 1 was taken back to the scene this morning (Aug 7).

The suspect, Hashim Hamzah, was charged with armed robbery on Tuesday (Aug 1), and is alleged to have threatened staff with a knife, before making off with S$4,000.

According to the police, the suspect wore a white helmet, black jacket and a pair of dark-coloured trousers during the time of the alleged robbery. 

Hashim, in hand and leg restraints, was led back into the outlet after alighting from a police van at around 10am. 

In the Western Union branch, officers brought him behind the staff counter and questioned him briefly, before bringing him behind Block 301, where the suspect is believed to have dropped some of his loot during his escape. 

The money had been recovered by a Western Union employee who followed the suspect after the alleged robbery. 

Officers subsequently took him to a carpark, where he is believed to have left his bicycle, and then to an eatery near the bank where they believe the suspect had observed the branch staff from. 

He was arrested at Pasir Ris Drive 6 last week, following a three-day manhunt, reports The Straits Times. 

During the manhunt, the police trawled through 1,000 hours of closed-circuit-television (CCTV) footage from police cameras, in-car cameras, shophouses and eateries. 

No one was hurt in the robbery, and the suspect had fled on a bicycle following the heist, with S$1,071.

Investigations revealed that most of the money had been spent by the suspect.

Police also recovered 4D tickets, a green face mask, a pair of dark shoes, and a red bicycle.

The knife and white helmet have yet to be found. 

If convicted of armed robbery, Hashim could face a jail term between two and 10 years, and at least 12 strokes of the cane.