Thieves steal parts from his motorbikes 5 times

By Arul John

First, it was his scooter. Then, his motorcycle.

Mr Christopher Lin said his two-wheelers have been targeted by thieves five times since last year.

They struck repeatedly even though the 24-year-old technician installed an alarm system for his scooter and motorcycle.

He told The New Paper: 'I now feel like a supplier who is providing free motorcycle parts.

'I do not know why this has happened as I have no enemies and neither I nor my family members have offended anyone.'

Overall, Mr Lin said he has spent nearly $1,300 to replace the stolen parts.

He lives with his parents and two elder brothers in a four-room flat at Boon Tiong Road, near Tiong Bahru Plaza, and parks his vehicles at a multi-storey carpark nearby.

The first incident occurred last year, when the right mirror on his 200cc Vespa scooter went missing.

He said: 'I did not make a police report as it seemed a small matter. About three months later, the mirror went missing again.

'I lodged a police report and the police officer advised me to install an alarm system and to park it where it could be seen by more people, like on the ground floor of the carpark.'

So Mr Lin did as told, spending $100 on an alarm system for his scooter.

When he traded in the scooter and bought a 600cc Yamaha R6 motorcycle, he installed a more expensive alarm system, costing about $300, and parked the motorbike on the lower decks of the carpark.

Alarm didn't help

But that did not work either. Early this year, his motorcycle's tank cover and rider's seat were removed.

Mr Lin said his motorbike's alarm system would be activated if someone made a rough movement on it or tried to ride it away.

'But whoever did this did it very gently without activating the alarm system,' he said.

'The police advised me to seek the town council's help in installing CCTVs in the carpark.'

Mr Lin said his Yamaha R6 motorcycle cost about $22,000 (including insurance).

According to reports by Berita Harian last year, the motorcycle has been a target for thieves because of its high market value.

On 22 Apr, Mr Lin e-mailed Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC) about his problem and asked if they could help by installing more CCTVs or placing more warning posters around the area.

He received a reply the next day asking him to refer the matter to the police.

He said: 'After that, I did not pursue the matter further.'

The fourth incident was an attempted theft on 28 Aug. He said: 'Again, the alarm was not activated. One of the screws holding the rider's seat was missing, and the other screw was half-way out.

'My bike was parked at an upper deck because the lots at the ground floor are always fully occupied.'

Mr Lin replaced the missing screw and then parked his bike at the ground floor of the carpark.

Thieves struck for the fifth time on 4 Sep.

Mr Lin said: 'As I was walking towards my motorbike to go to work, I saw that both its fairings (the plastic covers that protect the wiring and engine) were missing, exposing the wiring and engine. I made a police report two days later.

'I am at a loss on how to prevent my bike from theft. Maybe the last resort is that I stop riding for good.'

Mr Lin said he has since upgraded the alarm system on his motorcycle by adding an additional sensor worth $80, but wonders if and when the sixth theft will occur.

He claimed that two other motorcyclists he met at the carpark previously told him to be careful as there had been reports of motorcycle thieves in the area.

Mr K C Chua, who lives at a block near the multi-storey carpark, said one resident also had some parts stolen from his motorcycle at the carpark on or around 1 Sep.

Police investigating

Police spokesman Stanley Norbert confirmed that Mr Lin lodged three reports concerning the theft of vehicle component parts from his motorcycle and they are investigating the cases.

He added that the police conduct regular patrols in the area to prevent and deter crime, and members of the public and residents were encouraged to inform the police immediately if they spotted any suspicious activities in the neighbourhood.

ASP Norbert said theft of motorcycle parts in the Boon Tiong Road area was not rampant.

Overall, there were 192 reported cases of theft of motor vehicle component parts in Singapore in 2006 and 129 last year.

A town council spokesman said Mr Lin was referred to the police as the latter handled theft cases. The council is working with the police to identify spots where security cameras can be placed.

Anyone convicted of stealing motor vehicle parts can be jailed up to seven years and fined. They can also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence under the Road Traffic Act.