In a bizarre case of theft, a 38-year-old man, Muhammad Iqbal Mohamed Rafe, pleaded guilty to stealing women’s underwear from a high-rise apartment.
The incident occurred on September 1, 2021, when Iqbal ventured to the 10th floor of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Singapore.
According to court documents, Iqbal loitered around the area, scouting for bras hanging outside the flats. Finally, he found three Victoria’s Secret bras, estimated to be worth S$200, outside one unit. Realizing the presence of a closed-circuit television camera nearby, he tampered with it, tilting it upwards to avoid detection, according to the report.
With the bras in his possession, Iqbal proceeded to the ninth floor of the same building, where he engaged in a disturbing act of “touching and feeling” the undergarments.
After satisfying his peculiar desires, he discreetly placed the bras behind a bench on the 10th floor. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident for Iqbal.
On December 27, he struck again, stealing a collection of undergarments from another unit in the building. This time, his loot consisted of three bras, six to eight panties, and a red lace pyjama set, with an estimated total value of S$180 to S$200.
Iqbal’s actions did not go unnoticed, and he faced legal consequences for his disturbing behavior.
SERIAL OFFENDER
In 2020, he had already been sentenced to jail for trespassing into a flat to steal a bra and two sets of panties. Now, following his guilty plea for the recent thefts, Judge Jill Tan ordered a mandatory treatment order (MTO) suitability report.
A mandatory treatment order is a community sentencing option typically considered for offenders with mental conditions that directly contributed to their crimes.
According to the report, in Iqbal’s case, it was revealed that he suffers from persistent depressive disorder, which has been linked to his conduct. A psychiatric assessment suggested that Iqbal would benefit from psychiatric monitoring and treatment.
The court will reconvene on August 10 for Iqbal’s sentencing, where his fate will be determined.
Each count of theft carries a potential penalty of up to three years of imprisonment, a fine, or both. Meanwhile, Iqbal has already made full restitution of S$400 to his victims on September 7, 2022, as an act of remorse.
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