$50 in 10 minutes: Foreigner caught begging for money outside Bugis temple
A man begging for money along Waterloo Street was arrested by the police after some members of the public raised doubts about his behaviour.
The man, who has a 7cm tumour on his jaw, was seen sitting outside Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Dec 31, reported Shin Min Daily News. With legs of different lengths, he relied on crutches to walk.
Seated in front of a lamppost, the man would hold two to three packets of tissue in his hand, attempting to sell them to passers-by.
Upon seeing his disabilities, several people handed him cash, ranging from $2 to $10. They did not take any tissues from him.
According to Shin Min, the man received about $50 in the span of 10 minutes.
His actions eventually caught the attention of member of the public who called the police on him.
Officers arrived at the scene and took the man aside for questioning. When asked for his identification, the man pulled out a passport believed to be from China.
The questioning continued for about half an hour before the man was taken away in a police car.