Four teens tried to rob Carousell seller of $83k Rolex watch

SINGAPORE:  Two Carousell users narrowly escaped becoming victims of robbery this week after falling into traps allegedly set by a group of teenagers posing as buyers of luxury watches.

The police arrested four male teenagers, aged between 17 and 19, for their suspected involvement in an attempted armed robbery and an attempted robbery on May 27 and 28.

In one of the incidents, a Carousell seller had listed a green and gold Rolex Daytona, popularly known as the “John Mayer” edition, for around $83,000. The victim had arranged to meet a prospective buyer on the afternoon of May 28 at Block 432 Clementi Avenue 3.

But when he arrived at the meeting spot, things quickly turned sinister. According to police, two male teenagers allegedly tried to cover the victim’s head with a plastic bag. One of them was also armed with a 21cm knife.

The victim managed to fight off the attackers and escape, immediately alerting the authorities.

The police said they received the call for assistance at about 1.44pm. Officers swiftly identified and arrested the two suspects, 18-year-old Joshua Niteesh Mahesan and 19-year-old Sim De Ren, later that same day. The knife reportedly used in the attack was also recovered after being discarded nearby.

Further investigations revealed that the same pair had allegedly attempted a similar robbery just a day earlier, on May 27. This time, they were joined by Darren Chai Jia Le and another unnamed teenage boy.

That earlier attempt also involved a seller offering the same model of Rolex watch and being lured to the same HDB block. However, the victim in that case grew suspicious of the setup upon arrival and left before the group could make a move.

Chai and the other teenager were also arrested on May 28.

Joshua Niteesh and Sim were charged on Friday (May 30) with attempted armed robbery, an offence punishable by imprisonment of between two and seven years, and at least 12 strokes of the cane.

Chai faces an attempted robbery charge, which carries the same imprisonment range and a minimum of six strokes of the cane. The unnamed teenager remains under investigation for alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to commit robbery.

In a statement, the police urged members of the public to remain vigilant when transacting with strangers, especially for high-value items.

The authorities also advise buyers and sellers to avoid secluded meeting spots, remain alert to their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity without delay.