3 Filipinos Jailed 18 Months for Stealing Casino Chips in Singapore

Three Filipino men were arrested in Singapore after allegedly stealing chips from gamers in a casino.

According to a report by Lianhe Wanbao (Singapore), the three suspects were arrested at Marina Bay Sands casino. They were identified as Celiz Jerwin Bernaldez, 35, Lazaro Floro Bumatay, 53, and De Los Reyes Ryan Dimaunahan, 31. They were charged in a court on Friday with abetment by conspiracy to commit theft.

The court learned that Bumatay had financial difficulties and, in October 2017, in Manila, he invited Reyes and Jerwin to join him in Singapore to enact the thefts. They had initially thought of using chewing gum on their palms before settling on double-sided tape, for better adhesion, when picking up chips from the tables.

Between January 13 and 17, Jerwin distracted gamblers and Reyes and Bumatay picked up chips when they were distracted or looking away. Bumatay was responsible for cashing the stolen chips every day before leaving the casino.

The trio each remitted S$1,000 (US$758) of stolen proceeds to the Philippines.