Singapore ex-national serviceman cop gets week in jail for stealing AirPods from station inspector
SINGAPORE: A full-time national serviceman (NSF) with the Singapore Police Force was at work in one of its bases in Ulu Pandan Road when he stole a pair of AirPods worth S$300 (US$228) from his superior.
Muhammad Syafiq Sreyandi Mohd Faizal, 24, who completed his national service in October 2024, pleaded guilty to a theft charge and was sentenced to a week in jail on April 28.
A second theft charge was considered during his sentencing.
State Prosecuting Officer (SPO) A. Majeed Yosuff told the court that Syafiq was a corporal when he worked as a staff assistant at the Support and Technical Branch office of the Protective Security Command base.
He was in the office on Aug 6, 2024, when he spotted a set of AirPods belonging to a 37-year-old station inspector who had stepped out earlier.
Syafiq took the set, slipped it in his bag and left the base at around 6pm.
The station inspector returned to his workstation about 15 minutes later and found his AirPods missing.
SPO A. Majeed said: 'He activated the AirPod's tracking function, and realised that the (device) was moving along Lornie Road.
'At about 7.24pm, (the station inspector) was informed via the AirPods' tracking function that the AirPods were left in (a Sin Ming Avenue block of flats).'
The station inspector found out that Syafiq was staying in the Sin Ming area and alerted the latter's supervisor – a senior staff sergeant.
The station inspector was at work in the base at around 9am the next day when he re-activated the AirPod's tracking device and found that the set was in the Support and Technical Branch office.
The senior staff sergeant and the station inspector searched the office together and found the AirPods in Syafiq's bag.
The senior staff sergeant later spoke to Syafiq, who came clean about what he had done and handed the AirPods to his supervisor.
SPO A. Majeed said: 'The accused had stolen the AirPods as his earphones were faulty, and he did not have enough money to buy a new pair. He had wanted to use the AirPods to listen to music.'
On April 28, Syafiq, who was not represented by a lawyer, told the court that he is now jobless and is undergoing a 'crane course'.
He pleaded for a second chance and asked to be given a warning.
For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined. - The Straits Times/ANN
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