SINGAPORE - Three Chinese nationals who allegedly robbed a 45-year-old woman at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) were hauled to a district court on June 3.

Du Kai, 34, Li Yue, 29, and Ren Jiliang, 30, were each handed one charge of robbery with hurt.

The prosecutor asked for them to be remanded for a week for investigations.

In a statement on June 2, the police said the woman got to know someone who claimed to offer foreign currency exchange services through a messaging platform.

She had wanted to convert $50,000 in cash to foreign currency, which was to be deposited into her bank e-wallet.

Together with her daughter, she was brought to the Bayfront Avenue area, then later to an MBS hotel room.

When she took out the cash, a man restrained her by the neck and demanded she hand over the money.

The woman and the girl were locked on the room’s balcony.

The police found the three men had boarded a flight bound for Shanghai. The aircraft was recalled to the gate and they were arrested at Changi Airport.

The police said the money was recovered from the men.

An offender convicted of robbery with hurt can be jailed between five and 20 years, and receive at least 12 strokes of the cane.

The police advised the public to be careful when engaging in currency exchange arrangements with unknown people, particularly those conducted through social media or messaging platforms.