22-year-old yacht worker placed on 12-month probation after stealing nearly S$5,000 during island trip

SINGAPORE: A trip unfortunately went sour for a passenger when a yacht crew member stole nearly S$5,000 in cash, a designer wallet, and credit cards from their bag while en route to the southern islands of Lazarus. 

The 22-year-old suspect faces two counts of theft and was sentenced to 12 months of probation,  requiring him to remain indoors from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m the following morning. He is also required to complete 60 hours of community service. 

More so, the suspect’s parents were also required to provide S$5,000 bail to ensure that the suspect behaved well during his probation period.

Case details

According to case investigations, a female yacht owner was driving her yacht to Lazarus Island, and the suspect was assisting her at the time of the crime. While working on the deck, the suspect saw that a 57-year-old Mexican male tourist placed his backpack on the yacht’s sofa, reported Zaobao.

Having the opportunity to commit the crime, the suspect stole items amounting to approximately S$4,995 from the backpack, including a designer wallet, and foreign currency worth an estimated amount of 4,507 Singapore dollars.

After the yacht returned from the trip, several passengers discovered that their personal belongings were missing while checking their things and informed the female yacht owner. With this, the owner questioned the suspect. The stolen items were found inside the suspect’s shoulder bag, which prompted the owner to call the police. 

The suspect reportedly also stole a wallet from a female tourist, containing several credit cards, debit cards, and money worth more than S$700. 

In similar news related to theft, there was a recent report where a man managed to steal several hundred dollars in cash from a coffee shop during the weekend, when the shop was closed. 

The crime happened at a coffee shop called Local Coffee People, located inside the CIMB Plaza. 

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