More letterboxes tampered with, grocery vouchers for lower-income S'poreans allegedly stolen

The police said they received reports of grocery vouchers being stolen from tampered letterboxes. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE/FACEBOOK

SINGAPORE - More letterboxes have been tampered with in various Housing Board estates islandwide, with grocery vouchers meant for lower-income Singaporeans allegedly stolen from them.

Police said on Wednesday (Oct 14) that they have received reports of such incidents in residential areas, including Marsiling and Bukit Merah, and a case of mischief at Block 89 Redhill Close. The police are investigating these cases.

This comes after SingPost said that letterboxes at blocks in Redhill and Lengkok Bahru were previously found forcibly pried open on Tuesday morning (Oct 13).

The affected blocks were Blocks 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59 in Lengkok Bahru; Blocks 71 and 72 in Redhill Road; and Blocks 89 and 90 in Redhill Close.

A 37-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday (Oct 11) on suspicion of stealing Budget 2020 grocery vouchers from letterboxes in Lorong 7 Toa Payoh.

It was the second such arrest in two months. On Sept 11, five 18-year-old youths were apprehended for alleged theft of parcels from six blocks of HDB flats in Choa Chu Kang.

Those who are found guilty of theft can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

In a Facebook advisory, the police advised members of the public eligible for the Budget 2020 grocery vouchers to collect them from their letterboxes as soon as possible.

Those who suspect their vouchers have been stolen should make a police report immediately and call the Grocery Voucher hotline on 1800-2222-888 to request for their vouchers to be voided and replaced.

The police also urged people to ensure that their letterboxes are secured at all times, and to report any suspicious persons loitering around letterboxes to the police.

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