Youths tried to rob Carousell seller of $83k Rolex watch, had knife and covered his head with plastic bag
Two Carousell users fell victim to attempted robberies on May 27 and 28.
Four male teenagers, aged between 17 and 19, were arrested for their suspected involvement in a case of attempted armed robbery and attempted robbery.
In one incident, the victim had arranged to meet two men to sell a green and gold Rolex Daytona, dubbed 'John Mayer', worth around $83,000.
However, when the victim arrived, the two male teenagers allegedly attempted to cover the victim's head with a plastic bag.
According to The Straits Times, one of the teens carried a 21cm knife.
The victim managed to escape and called the police.
The police said they received a call for assistance at Block 432 Clementi Avenue 3 at about 1.44pm on May 28.
The suspects, Joshua Niteesh Mahesan, 18, and Sim De Ren, 19, were identified and arrested on the same day. Police also recovered the knife which they had earlier discarded.
Upon further investigations, the pair were found to have allegedly attempted a similar robbery on May 27, alongside Darren Chai Jia Le and another unnamed teenage boy.
In that incident, another Carousell seller had also listed the same watch model for sale and was lured to meet a potential buyer at the same HDB block.
However, when the seller arrived at the block, he felt suspicious of the circumstances and left before the four teens could strike.
Chai and the other teenager involved in the latter were subsequently arrested on May 28.
Joshua Niteesh and Sim will be charged in court on May 30 with attempted armed robbery.
Chai will also be charged in court on May 30 with attempted robbery, while the other teenager will be investigated for being part of a criminal conspiracy to commit robbery.
The offence of attempted armed robbery is punishable by imprisonment of between two and seven years, and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
Additionally, the offence of attempted robbery is punishable by imprisonment of between two and seven years, and at least six strokes of the cane.
Members of the public who encounter such cases are advised to remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call the police as soon as possible.
They are advised to be alert and attentive to their surroundings when meeting potential buyers or sellers or making transactions in person, especially when carrying valuables or large sums of cash.
Buyers and sellers should avoid going to secluded places and report any suspicious persons or activities to the police immediately.
