The accomplice who helped his friend abduct and confine the mother of Sheng Shiong supermarket boss Lim Hock Chee for ransom has been sentenced to three years in jail.
51-year-old Heng Chen Boon pleaded guilty to intentionally aiding Lee Sze Yong to kidnap 79-year-old Ng Lye Poh in January last year, The Straits Times reports. Both men were good friends and lived together.
Police investigations revealed that Lee had incurred debts of up to $200,000 by borrowing money from banks, friends and moneylenders both legal and illegal. In 2011, he hatched a plan to carry out a kidnapping to get some ransom money.
After extensive research, Lee allegedly conducted surveillance on those he identified as potential targets, and keeping a close watch on the residence and routine of family members. To further prepare for the abduction, Lee began buying items such as a taser from Bangkok, a Halloween mask and pepper spray from Kuala Lumpur, false car registration plates from Johor Bahru and even a female Malay outfit from a pasar malam during Hari Raya in 2013.
Confirming his target as the family who owns the Sheng Shiong supermarket chain, he observed Lee's residence for around six months and took down notes on how he would kidnap the matriarch.
Lee then rented a car and approached Ng at the foot of an overhead bridge in the morning of Jan 8, and told her that her son had a fall in the office. She got into his car, believing the ruse.
She was then driven to Seletar Camp and Lee put on a face mask and blindfold on her, as the elderly woman pleaded with him to let her go.
Later that afternoon, Lee made a call to Lim using a Malaysian SIM card and demanded Lim to hand over $20 million in exchange for his mother. The ransom was later on negotiated down to $2 million.
Realising that he had to return his rented car, Lee called Heng and asked him to drive Lee's car over to Punggol End carpark, where he was waiting. Heng was obviously shocked when he saw a blindfolded Ng, but was told not to ask any questions. Lee then drove his car across various secluded areas to wait for nightfall.
Heng was then called to meet at Sembawang Park, and there he confronted Lee about the abduction. Lee confessed to the kidnapping, and Heng asked his friend to let Ng go.
After several moments of arguing, Heng finally relented and agreed to help his friend by driving Ng to another road in the park's vicinity to keep watch over her.
The ransom money was dropped at a specific tree at the park by Lim around 11pm, and Lee grabbed it and threw it into some thick vegetation near Cyprus Road. He met up later with Heng and dropped off the woman at the bus stop at the entrance of Seletar Camp before calling Lim to pick her up.
Police had already established the identities of both Lee and Heng, and arrested them shortly. Lee later led police to the ransom money around 1.18am.
Heng could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined for his minor role in the abduction.
Lee on the other hand, still faces the kidnapping charge. If convicted, he may be sentenced to death or life in prison with caning.
Photo: Victor via Flickr
The accomplice who helped his friend abduct and confine the mother of Sheng Shiong supermarket boss Lim Hock Chee for ransom has been sentenced to three years in jail.
51-year-old Heng Chen Boon pleaded guilty to intentionally aiding Lee Sze Yong to kidnap 79-year-old Ng Lye Poh in January last year, The Straits Times reports. Both men were good friends and lived together.
Police investigations revealed that Lee had incurred debts of up to $200,000 by borrowing money from banks, friends and moneylenders both legal and illegal. In 2011, he hatched a plan to carry out a kidnapping to get some ransom money.
After extensive research, Lee allegedly conducted surveillance on those he identified as potential targets, and keeping a close watch on the residence and routine of family members. To further prepare for the abduction, Lee began buying items such as a taser from Bangkok, a Halloween mask and pepper spray from Kuala Lumpur, false car registration plates from Johor Bahru and even a female Malay outfit from a pasar malam during Hari Raya in 2013.
Confirming his target as the family who owns the Sheng Shiong supermarket chain, he observed Lee's residence for around six months and took down notes on how he would kidnap the matriarch.
Lee then rented a car and approached Ng at the foot of an overhead bridge in the morning of Jan 8, and told her that her son had a fall in the office. She got into his car, believing the ruse.
She was then driven to Seletar Camp and Lee put on a face mask and blindfold on her, as the elderly woman pleaded with him to let her go.
Later that afternoon, Lee made a call to Lim using a Malaysian SIM card and demanded Lim to hand over $20 million in exchange for his mother. The ransom was later on negotiated down to $2 million.
Realising that he had to return his rented car, Lee called Heng and asked him to drive Lee's car over to Punggol End carpark, where he was waiting. Heng was obviously shocked when he saw a blindfolded Ng, but was told not to ask any questions. Lee then drove his car across various secluded areas to wait for nightfall.
Heng was then called to meet at Sembawang Park, and there he confronted Lee about the abduction. Lee confessed to the kidnapping, and Heng asked his friend to let Ng go.
After several moments of arguing, Heng finally relented and agreed to help his friend by driving Ng to another road in the park's vicinity to keep watch over her.
The ransom money was dropped at a specific tree at the park by Lim around 11pm, and Lee grabbed it and threw it into some thick vegetation near Cyprus Road. He met up later with Heng and dropped off the woman at the bus stop at the entrance of Seletar Camp before calling Lim to pick her up.
Police had already established the identities of both Lee and Heng, and arrested them shortly. Lee later led police to the ransom money around 1.18am.
Heng could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined for his minor role in the abduction.
Lee on the other hand, still faces the kidnapping charge. If convicted, he may be sentenced to death or life in prison with caning.
Photo: Victor via Flickr