Georgians Abralava Irakli (left) and Darsania Tamazi were each charged with one count of theft. - SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Two men allegedly used sleight of hand to steal 70,000 euros (S$102,000) and US$25,000 (S$33,000) from a money changer at Little India Arcade in Serangoon Road.
Georgians Abralava Irakli, 36, and Darsania Tamazi, 70, who were each charged with one count of theft on Friday, are accused of committing the offence at Monisha Exchange at around 4pm on Dec 2, 2022.
The pair allegedly approached the money changer that day on the pretext of exchanging Singapore dollars to euros and US dollars.
Police said on Thursday (July 27) that when presented with the foreign currencies, one of the men placed the money inside a bag with a number lock attached.
According to the police, he left the bag at the money changer on the pretext of going elsewhere to withdraw Singapore dollars to complete the transaction.
The men later asked the money changer to verify the foreign currencies.
The police said: “During the process, the men allegedly swopped the genuine notes with counterfeit notes. The men then left the money changer... stating that they would return to complete the currency exchange transaction.”
The moneychanger opened the bag when the men did not return.
He found a 200 euro note, a 500 euro note and a US$100 note that were genuine. The others were purportedly counterfeit notes.
The police were alerted shortly before 8pm on Dec 2, 2022.
Through ground inquiries and with the help of images from police cameras, as well as closed-circuit television footage, officers from Central Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre managed to establish the identities of the purported offenders.
The two men later left for Malaysia, and on Dec 3, 2022, the State Courts issued warrants of arrest linked to their case.
On Wednesday, the Malaysian police arrested them at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. They were handed over to the Singapore police the next day.
The case involving Tamazi and Irakli has been adjourned to Aug 4.
For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined.
