Man arrested after stealing durians worth S$250 from Bukit Batok stall, caught on CCTV
A man’s heist of nine durians from a Bukit Batok stall went awry after he pulled the wrong plug.
56-year-old Sew Swee Chai was loitering outside a durian stall at Block 276, Bukit Batok East Avenue 4 on the night of 6 Sept 2024 when he came up with the idea of stealing durians.
Source: Durian Buddy on Facebook
Sew had been craving durians, but it was 9.09pm and the stall had already closed.
That’s when he decided that the only solution for his cravings was to enter the stall and steal the durians.
The defendant then spent the next several minutes scoping out the stall’s exterior, noticing the CCTV cameras.
Man pulls wrong plug, disables durian stall’s fridge instead
Sew thus pulled out several electrical plugs in an attempt to switch off the CCTV. He then walked into the stall, thinking that its defences had been disabled.
The man ended up stealing nine Black Gold durians worth S$250, placing them into plastic bags before leaving.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Unfortunately for Sew, he had pulled the wrong plug for the CCTV cameras.
The next day, a stall assistant noticed the nine missing durians and checked the CCTV footage.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the footage showed Sew squatting on the ground and taking durians from a basket under a table.
The stall owner said that the plugs Sew pulled actually switched off the power supply to the fridge, affecting the fruits stored inside.
Thief caught trying to steal Buddhist amulets
Sew, who had not been arrested yet, later went to a stall at Fu Lu Shou Complex on 20 Sept 2024.
Source: Ben Panuts on Google Maps
He browsed through several Buddhist amulets on display tables. Finding them to his liking, Sew once more had the idea of stealing them.
The defendant grabbed two amulets, hid them in his palm, and placed them in his pockets. However, the stall owner noticed his actions when he pocketed a third one.
The stall owner ended up detaining Sew and taking back the three amulets, valued at S$180 in total.
Sew attempted to leave a few times but was stopped. Police officers eventually arrived and arrested him.
Man who stole durians from Bukit Batok stall had prior theft offences
On 15 Sept 2025, Sew pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, one for each incident.
The prosecution highlighted the defendant’s prior criminal record, which included jail time for theft and burglary.
They pointed to the premeditation of the durian theft, including attempting to disable the CCTV cameras, as well as his committing another theft just two weeks later.
As such, the prosecution requested a severe sentence as deterrence.
Defendant made compensation for nine stolen durians
Sew’s lawyer claimed that his client had been diagnosed with depression and was not taking medication at the time of the crime.
The defence stated that Sew had already made compensation for the durians and is currently receiving treatment for his depression. They therefore sought leniency from the judge.
Ultimately, the judge gave the defendant a sentence of nine weeks in jail.
Sew said his elderly mother had been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, and he had to go to the hospital for an examination.
The judge thus agreed to defer his jail sentence.
Also read: Thief steals sackful of Musang King durian from M’sia stall, had previously robbed another store
Thief steals sackful of Musang King durian from M’sia stall, had previously robbed another store
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Durian Buddy on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News.
