Latest news with #ImranMohdHajar
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- General
- AsiaOne
Off-duty cop helps catch thief on Scoot flight, urges public to 'stay vigilant', Singapore News
For police officer Imran Mohd Hajar, his instincts remained sharp even while he was off duty. Speaking to the media on Wednesday (June 4) at New Phoenix Park, he recounted the suspicious incident onboard a Scoot flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, where two men were arrested for theft on board an aircraft. Imran was travelling with his family then. The 47-year-old deputy team leader from the Clementi Division shared that he and his family noticed a male subject "moving around and looking about suspiciously near our section". "He was walking back and forth, which was pretty unusual," he pointed out. And about five to ten minutes before takeoff, Imran observed that man rummaging through a sling bag in an overhead compartment located near his seat. While he could not confirm whether the bag belonged to the individual, he decided to stay alert and continued observing throughout the flight. The man's suspicious behaviour also caught the attention of a couple who was seated nearby, who continued to observe him throughout the flight. Upon landing, Imran saw a female passenger retrieve the bag and disembark from the plane. Sensing something was amiss, he quickly took a photo of the suspect before making his way to the baggage claim area to find the woman. Cash and two bank cards missing After locating her, Imran learned that the passenger, believed to be a Malaysian working in Singapore had discovered that some cash and two bank cards were missing from her bag. The two immediately sought assistance from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and contacted the Airport Police Division (APD). As a result of Imran's swift action and the images he had captured, the suspect, a 35-year-old man, was quickly identified and detained. Officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him at a lounge in the transit area of Changi Terminal 1 within one hour of the report, said the police in a press release today. Another 40-year-old man, believed to be the accomplice of the 35-year-old, was also arrested. Cash amounting $169, allegedly taken from the small pouch, were recovered from the man upon his arrest. The police also recovered two debit cards belonging to the female passenger, which were discarded in a rubbish bin where the two men had traversed before they were arrested. 'Anything can happen on a flight' In the interview with the media, Imran credited his police training and years of experience for his timely response. "It was an instinct I've developed after being a police officer for many years, along with the training I've received," he said. "Whenever we travel, we have to stay vigilant and be aware of our surroundings. For long-haul flights, we even take turns staying awake to keep an eye on our belongings. Anything can happen on a flight." The commander of the Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner M. Malathi, praised the vigilance of both passengers. "The two observant passengers who came forward played a crucial role in assisting the police and victim by notifying the suspicious behavior they had observed onboard the aircraft," he said. "Their prompt reporting and detailed testimonies aided in the swift arrest of the suspects and substantiation of the crime which is inherently challenging due to the transient and time-sensitive nature of air travel." The two men will be charged in court on June 4, for the offence of theft with common intention. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine, or with both. The police would also like to remind the public that it takes a serious view of theft cases on board aircraft and offenders will be dealt with firmly, in accordance with the law. [[nid:718489]]
CNA
4 days ago
- General
- CNA
How off-duty cop's policing instincts helped nab two men suspected of in-flight theft
SINGAPORE: Minutes before Inspector Imran Mohd Hajar's flight back to Singapore was due to take off, he noticed a man behaving suspiciously just a row behind him. "He was walking around looking for something, which is unusual for me, especially when we are about to take-off five minutes to 10 minutes before," the deputy team leader of the Jurong East Neighbourhood Police Centre, Clementi Division told reporters on Wednesday (Jun 4). The 47-year-old police officer was returning home after a four-day trip to Kuala Lumpur with his wife and daughter. The man rummaged through a sling bag in the overhead compartment for about one to two minutes before allegedly taking some items from it. He then transferred them into an airline bag, the police officer said. "At that point in time, we could not confirm that the bag belonged to him, but we continued to observe till we landed in Singapore," he added. But upon landing, the sling bag was retrieved by a female passenger instead, who got off the plane before INSP Imran. The man was no longer on the plane. The police officer later spotted the man, who was with an acquaintance, at a smoking area at the transit lounge. He noticed the airline bag from earlier being passed between the two men. "That's where my policing instincts said that something is wrong somewhere," INSP Imran said, adding that he took a photo of the two men. Asked why he did not confront the men then, the police officer said he wanted to first make sure that items were missing from the sling bag. He also pointed out that the man he saw on the flight was a foreigner and did not want to abruptly question him. "(I gave him) the benefit of the doubt." TWO CHINESE NATIONALS ARRESTED INSP Imran's next step was to find the owner of the bag. He searched "high and low" for her and went to the baggage conveyor belt for the flight, in hopes that she had luggage to pick up. His guess turned out to be right and he approached the woman to verify if any of her items were missing. The woman realised that some cash and two bank cards were gone. INSP Imran said he believed the victim was a Malaysian and had just started working in Singapore. "She was traumatised, and subsequently, my wife managed to calm her down and told her 'don't worry, we will assist you in whatever we can'," he said. The couple brought the woman to an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer, who referred them to a duty officer. INSP Imran shared the photos he had taken of the two men, and the Airport Police Division was roped in to search for the suspects. Two Chinese nationals, aged 35 and 40, were arrested on Monday after the police were alerted to the incident at about 8.50pm. Preliminary investigations found that the 35-year-old man had allegedly removed some items after rummaging through the contents of the victim's bag. Using information provided by INSP Imran, his wife and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him at a lounge in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1. The 40-year-old man, who is believed to be his accomplice, was also arrested. Cash amounting to S$169 was recovered from him, the police said. Two debit cards belonging to the female passenger were discarded in a rubbish bin in an area where the two men had travelled through before their arrest. They will be charged on Wednesday with theft. If convicted, the men may be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both. Commander of Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi, said the two observant passengers - INSP Imran and his wife - played a "crucial role" in helping the police and the victim. "Their prompt reporting and detailed testimonies aided in the swift arrest of the suspects and substantiation of the crime, which is inherently challenging due to the transient and time-sensitive nature of air travel," she added. Recounting his actions during the incident, INSP Imran said: "It's just an instinct that we have (as) police officers for many years, and also the training that we received through our policing service." The police officer also said that he tells his children to stay vigilant and be aware of their surroundings during flights and on public transport.
