SINGAPORE – The 51-year-old mastermind of a botched plan to grab $40,000 from a man was on Feb 13 sentenced to seven months’ jail.

Tate Lim pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy to commit attempted snatch theft in a case the prosecution described as one involving misplaced vigilante justice.

Lim targeted Mr Yin Yang, 33, because he believed the younger man had wrongfully withheld the $40,000 from a woman identified in court as a Ms Wang Mengmeng.

Lim’s relationship with Ms Wang was not disclosed in court documents.

The mastermind’s nephew, Ivan Lim Teng Tze, also admitted to his role in the conspiracy. The 29-year-old was sentenced to three months and two weeks in jail on Feb 13.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Huo Jiongrui said that the Lims did not commit their offences out of greed.

“Rather, their... attempt to commit snatch theft was committed out of a sense of misplaced vigilante justice... Nevertheless, such acts of vigilante justice should not be encouraged,” added the DPP.

It all started in December 2022, when Mr Yin agreed with a man, identified only as “Cyan” in court documents, to exchange $40,000 of Mr Yin’s money for Chinese yuan.

Separately, Ms Wang agreed to transfer some yuan into Cyan’s account in exchange for $40,000 in cash.

Cyan later told Ms Wang and Mr Yin that he could not meet them in person. But he told Ms Wang that Mr Yin was his friend, and told Mr Yin that Ms Wang was his sister.

Mr Yin was carrying $40,000 in cash when he met...