214:(whom he knew for seven years) to talk about his financial troubles. Like Tan, Chua, then a 42-year-old cleaning company owner married with two sons, was also heavily in debt, as he owed about S$ 600,000 to his creditors. Both men, after some talk, decided that in order to solve their debts, they had to kidnap someone for ransom. They researched on potential targets from the list of businesses they obtained, and selected one of the companies' managing director, who was a former business partner of Chua's childhood friend and thought of kidnapping one of the director's children to extort a
289:(who manipulated a 15-year-old student to murder his wife) in several high-profile cases. Chua, on the other hand, was represented by another lawyer named Lee Teck Leng in both his and Tan's joint trial. Both men initially submitted there was no case to answer since during the abduction of the child, they did not demand for ransom despite having the intention to. After a discussion with their lawyers, both Tan and Chua changed their minds and decided to plead guilty.
231:
a seven-year-old girl, from the living room and quickly ran off to the car with the girl. Tan, who was the driver, drove off upon Chua entering their vehicle. However, the abduction was witnessed by the girl's brothers and a catering assistant, who took down the license plate number and asked her husband to follow the car. After the men drove for thirty minutes, they spotted the husband tailing them from behind, and thus released the girl at the side of the road in
309:
intelligence, poor verbal reasoning, planning difficulties and concrete thinking, he had difficulty coping with the multiple stressors at the time. Adding that to the hopelessness aggravated by his depression, he tended to resort to desperate, short-sighted measures." From this, Anandan sought mercy for Tan and asked that he should not receive caning due to the victim's lack of injury and the relatively short period of time the girl was held hostage.
296:(the maximum punishment for kidnapping), and he instead submitted that Tan should be given a life sentence for his crime. He argued that both his client and Chua should be regarded as having pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity as they did not do so on the first day of trial only because of the then unresolved legal issue, and their decision to plead guilty had spared the girl the need to recount her traumatic experience on the stand.
375:, airing as the ninth episode of the show's annual season in 2004 (the year he was sentenced). Also, during the 17th year mark of Tan's sentence, Chua died at the age of 58 due to suicide in July 2020, leaving Tan the only one of the kidnappers who remained alive while in prison; it was not known how Tan, then 51 or 52 years old, reacted to the death of his old friend.
354:
Before they were led away from the courtroom, Tan was allowed to speak to his daughter and younger sister, and he cried as he conversed with the two of them, while Chua, who had only one relative appearing in court, remained silent and calm during and after sentencing. When she was interviewed, Tan's
299:
Anandan also added that the kidnapping was committed by Tan out of desperation to pay his debts and recounted his personal background, and submitted the psychiatrist Dr Gwee Kok Peng's diagnosis report (dated March 2004) to highlight Tan's psychiatric state. While in remand, Dr Gwee found that at the
183:
flat. The reason for her separation was due to her husband's gambling addiction, and it caused him to rake up huge debts. Despite selling off the flat to pay his debts, Tan remained incorrigible and persisted in his gambling habits, which caused his wife to live separately from him. By
December 2003,
230:
to execute their kidnap plan. As the house gates were still open, and the people at the house were busy preparing for a
Christmas party and buffet dinner, Chua decided to enter the house without anyone knowing, and wore a mask to disguise himself. He managed to abduct one of the director's children,
242:
1 million. They threatened to endanger the safety of the father and the girl if he did not pay up on time. The father, who reported the matter to the police, decided to play along with the men's request (as instructed by the police) and he later negotiated with the men to pay a ransom of S$ 70,000.
308:
and low IQ, and these were severe enough to impair his judgement and led to more difficulty on Tan's part to manage his stressors, and should Tan receive proper care and treatment while in prison, he would recover. In Dr Gwee's words, he made a conclusion on Tan's psychiatric state, "Given his low
146:
of 2003. Tan, who was the owner and manager of a transportation company, had several financial troubles and thus it led to both Tan and Chua to decide to kidnap a child of a wealthy businessman for ransom. The men also demanded a ransom of S$ 1 million before settling on the final sum of S$ 70,000
350:
Still, Justice Tay refrained from imposing the death sentence given both defendants' respective mental disorders and the lack of weapons and no harm was done to the girl during the kidnapping, and thus decided that it was sufficient to punish the men with life terms and caning of three strokes to
346:
Justice Tay also pointed out that while the men did release the girl shortly after the abduction, they did it not out of a change of heart but due to their "sheer hard luck", and they tried to extort money from the family under threats of their safety despite the failure. He also found there was
342:
each. Justice Tay accepted the men's psychiatric reports and expressed sympathy for their financial troubles, but he nonetheless criticized the men for targeting a child and stated that both defendants, who were parents themselves, should understand more than anyone the grief of any parent whose
351:"convey the message that kidnapping, especially of vulnerable victims, is likely to be visited with painful consequences." The passers-by who helped the girl and the police were all commended for their efforts to help the girl and ensuring the kidnappers be caught within a short period of time.
243:
On 27 December 2003, two days after the kidnapping, the men eventually received the ransom at their pick-up point at Pan Island
Expressway, and they were arrested shortly after at Tampines by the police, who tailed them from the pick-up point and monitored their movements all the while.
175:
Born in 1968, Tan Ping Koon had at least one sibling - a younger sister - in his family. He later established a transportation company and became its transport manager. He later married, and had one daughter who was born in 1994 or 1995.
48:
218:
2 million ransom from him. The men initially thought of trafficking drugs but decided to abort the plan in favour of kidnapping, and they also hoped that if they won lottery, they would call off the kidnap plan, but they did not.
347:
meticulous planning made by both men (especially Chua, the "more brainy one" in
Justice Tay's words) to commit the crime since they discussed it for over a week and look for the right timing to strike.
147:
through negotiations. Two days after the crime, both Chua and Tan were arrested and brought to trial for kidnapping for ransom, and after they pleaded guilty to committing the crime, both men were each
1148:
1143:
355:
estranged wife commented that if only her husband did not gamble, he would not have become heavily in debt and ended up having to serve his time in jail for the rest of his life.
1138:
968:
1153:
1168:
994:
1045:
312:
Chua's defence counsel also took a similar defence strategy to plead to the trial court to spare Chua from the death penalty on account of his severe
763:
1113:
1158:
371:
362:. If he served with good behaviour, it is possible that Tan, after serving at least twenty years of his sentence, can be released on
1128:
1123:
1019:
588:
404:
293:
247:
1133:
399:
335:
251:
179:
By July 2003, Tan's wife separated from him, and she left both Tan and their daughter, who continued staying at her father's
148:
115:
1163:
849:
192:
at one point to hide from loan sharks, but he returned for fear of leaving his daughter alone without care or safety in
737:
358:
Tan, whose sentence was backdated to the date of his capture (27 December 2003), is currently serving his sentence at
1118:
301:
238:
Despite their failure, Tan and Chua decided to contact the girl's father the next day, asking for a ransom of
1046:"Man sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 commits suicide, prison reviewing infrastructure design: Coroner"
285:, then the most famous criminal lawyer in Singapore, who was known for representing notorious criminals like
389:
369:
During his time of imprisonment, Tan's case was re-adapted by
Singaporean crime show Singaporean crime show
278:
160:
1108:
681:
246:
After their arrests, Tan and Chua were charged with kidnapping for ransom, a crime which is punishable by
1103:
1071:
235:. The girl, who was not harmed or gagged, was taken back home, and the mother contacted the police.
409:
394:
339:
255:
156:
119:
995:"Crimewatch 2004 S1 Ep 9 Kidnappers Ransom Bid Foiled / Jln Sultan Robbery / Taxi Driver Murder"
277:
On 6 September 2004, 35-year-old Tan Ping Koon and 42-year-old Chua Ser Lien stood trial at the
226:, Tan and Chua drove their getaway car (with false license plate numbers) to the man's home at
313:
24:
615:
331:
282:
164:
29:
458:
1097:
384:
359:
325:
272:
223:
211:
205:
152:
143:
139:
89:
281:
for the kidnapping of the seven-year-old girl. In his trial, Tan was represented by
227:
135:
20:
616:"Last 2 times children were kidnapped off the streets in S'pore: 1999 & 2003"
210:
In early
December 2003, Tan Ping Koon, then 35 years old, met up with his friend
286:
196:. Tan's company was also plunged into a precarious financial situation as well.
641:"Judicial CP - September 2004 / Life term, caning for young girl's kidnappers"
104:
193:
142:, was charged for the kidnapping of a seven-year-old girl for ransom during
69:
47:
305:
232:
189:
180:
478:
476:
640:
363:
1020:"Kidnapper serving life sentence at Changi Prison killed himself"
764:"Guilty As Charged: Anthony Ler lured teen into killing his wife"
222:
After a week of planning, on 25 December 2003, coincidentally
316:
symptoms and various extenuating circumstances in his case.
239:
215:
185:
292:
In his submissions, Anandan argued that Tan should not be
1149:
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by
Singapore
206:
Chua Ser Lien § 2003 Yio Chu Kang abduction case
1144:
Singaporean prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
273:
Chua Ser Lien § Pleas of guilt and submissions
111:
100:
84:
76:
57:
38:
366:should he reached the conditions for eligibility.
953:"Life term, caning for young girl's kidnappers".
334:of the High Court sentenced both Tan and Chua to
789:"Two accused of abducting girl to stand trial".
850:"Public Prosecutor v Tan Ping Koon and Another"
459:"Public Prosecutor v Tan Ping Koon and Another"
427:
425:
707:"Kidnapped girl, 7, kept cool during ordeal".
326:Chua Ser Lien § Life imprisonment verdict
8:
16:Singaporean kidnapper and former businessman
80:Director of transportation company (former)
1139:Singaporean people convicted of kidnapping
682:"Kidnapping rare because of death penalty"
46:
35:
804:"Duo now plead guilty to Kidnap charge".
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
421:
722:"Two men in court on kidnap charge".
330:On 9 September 2004, the trial judge
7:
1154:Prisoners and detainees of Singapore
589:"Three most recent kidnapping cases"
1169:People with intellectual disability
134:(陈平坤 Chén Píngkūn; born 1968) is a
513:"欠债110万 2匪绑架女童 一匪欠阿窿50万•另一匪欠60万".
483:"绑匪陈平坤妻子受访： '赌博害了他' 曾卖屋还债 却不知悔改".
14:
878:"Kidnappers get life in prison".
614:Lay, Belmont (25 January 2018).
487:(in Chinese). 10 September 2004.
436:(in Chinese). 10 September 2004.
188:500,000, and he even ran off to
975:(in Chinese). 10 September 2004
942:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
927:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
912:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
897:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
823:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
670:(in Chinese). 6 September 2004.
577:(in Chinese). 7 September 2004.
562:(in Chinese). 9 September 2004.
547:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
532:(in Chinese). 9 September 2004.
517:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
502:(in Chinese). 8 September 2004.
405:Capital punishment in Singapore
262:Court proceedings and aftermath
184:Tan had a debt totalling up to
1114:Life imprisonment in Singapore
1078:(in Chinese). 24 December 2020
400:Life imprisonment in Singapore
1:
738:"Two charged with kidnapping"
300:time of the offence, Tan had
61:
52:Police mugshot of Tan in 2003
923:"妻曾申诉夫举止反常连换 3 辆车连买 6 名表".
834:"Kidnappers found guilty".
1185:
1159:People with mood disorders
528:"干案前 匪疯狂下注 希望赢巨奖 不用冒险绑架".
323:
270:
203:
18:
340:three strokes of the cane
320:Sentence and imprisonment
157:three strokes of the cane
125:
120:three strokes of the cane
96:
45:
1129:2003 crimes in Singapore
1124:Kidnapping in Singapore
390:Vincent Lee Chuan Leong
138:man who, together with
666:"'后台老板'出价？ 500万杀富商女".
92:since 27 December 2003
1134:Singaporean criminals
969:"富商幼女遭绑架案两绑匪终身监禁各鞭3下"
267:Trial and guilty plea
167:on 9 September 2004.
1164:People with epilepsy
1072:"洋房劫匪狱中自杀 母：儿生前懊悔不已"
957:. 10 September 2004.
908:"次被告精神错乱曾闯理大说要捐百万".
882:. 10 September 2004.
343:child goes missing.
857:Singapore Law Watch
838:. 9 September 2004.
808:. 9 September 2004.
726:. 30 December 2003.
711:. 30 December 2003.
647:. 10 September 2004
410:List of kidnappings
395:Caning in Singapore
1052:. 22 December 2020
1026:. 22 December 2020
859:. 9 September 2004
744:. 30 December 2003
558:"绑架小女孩前两被告曾考虑贩毒".
461:. 9 September 2004
294:sentenced to death
1119:2003 in Singapore
955:The Straits Times
938:"律师： 第二被告患有精神病".
893:"首被告智商低处理问题能力差".
806:The Straits Times
793:. 11 August 2004.
791:The Straits Times
768:The Straits Times
724:The Straits Times
688:. 12 January 2014
595:. 10 January 2014
432:"绑架8岁女童 两匪终身监禁".
336:life imprisonment
252:life imprisonment
149:sentenced to life
129:
128:
116:Life imprisonment
1176:
1088:
1087:
1085:
1083:
1068:
1062:
1061:
1059:
1057:
1042:
1036:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1016:
1010:
1009:
1007:
1005:
991:
985:
984:
982:
980:
965:
959:
958:
950:
944:
943:
935:
929:
928:
920:
914:
913:
905:
899:
898:
890:
884:
883:
875:
869:
868:
866:
864:
854:
846:
840:
839:
831:
825:
824:
819:"绑架富商女 2 商人认罪".
816:
810:
809:
801:
795:
794:
786:
780:
779:
777:
775:
760:
754:
753:
751:
749:
734:
728:
727:
719:
713:
712:
704:
698:
697:
695:
693:
678:
672:
671:
663:
657:
656:
654:
652:
637:
631:
630:
628:
626:
611:
605:
604:
602:
600:
585:
579:
578:
573:"蒙面绑匪冲入洋房掳走女孩".
570:
564:
563:
555:
549:
548:
540:
534:
533:
525:
519:
518:
510:
504:
503:
495:
489:
488:
480:
471:
470:
468:
466:
455:
438:
437:
429:
314:bipolar disorder
200:Criminal conduct
66:
63:
50:
36:
1184:
1183:
1179:
1178:
1177:
1175:
1174:
1173:
1094:
1093:
1092:
1091:
1081:
1079:
1070:
1069:
1065:
1055:
1053:
1044:
1043:
1039:
1029:
1027:
1018:
1017:
1013:
1003:
1001:
993:
992:
988:
978:
976:
967:
966:
962:
952:
951:
947:
937:
936:
932:
922:
921:
917:
907:
906:
902:
892:
891:
887:
877:
876:
872:
862:
860:
852:
848:
847:
843:
833:
832:
828:
818:
817:
813:
803:
802:
798:
788:
787:
783:
773:
771:
762:
761:
757:
747:
745:
736:
735:
731:
721:
720:
716:
706:
705:
701:
691:
689:
680:
679:
675:
665:
664:
660:
650:
648:
639:
638:
634:
624:
622:
613:
612:
608:
598:
596:
587:
586:
582:
572:
571:
567:
557:
556:
552:
543:"2 被告怎样找上肉票?".
542:
541:
537:
527:
526:
522:
512:
511:
507:
497:
496:
492:
482:
481:
474:
464:
462:
457:
456:
441:
431:
430:
423:
418:
381:
328:
322:
275:
269:
264:
208:
202:
173:
101:Criminal charge
85:Criminal status
72:
67:
64:
53:
41:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1182:
1180:
1172:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1151:
1146:
1141:
1136:
1131:
1126:
1121:
1116:
1111:
1106:
1096:
1095:
1090:
1089:
1063:
1037:
1011:
986:
960:
945:
940:Shin Min Daily
930:
915:
900:
885:
870:
841:
826:
811:
796:
781:
755:
729:
714:
699:
673:
658:
632:
606:
580:
565:
550:
535:
530:Shin Min Daily
520:
515:Shin Min Daily
505:
490:
485:Shin Min Daily
472:
439:
420:
419:
417:
414:
413:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
387:
380:
377:
332:Tay Yong Kwang
321:
318:
283:Subhas Anandan
268:
265:
263:
260:
201:
198:
172:
169:
165:Tay Yong Kwang
127:
126:
123:
122:
113:
109:
108:
102:
98:
97:
94:
93:
88:Imprisoned at
86:
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
68:
59:
55:
54:
51:
43:
42:
39:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1181:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1152:
1150:
1147:
1145:
1142:
1140:
1137:
1135:
1132:
1130:
1127:
1125:
1122:
1120:
1117:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1109:Living people
1107:
1105:
1102:
1101:
1099:
1077:
1076:Lianhe Zaobao
1073:
1067:
1064:
1051:
1047:
1041:
1038:
1025:
1021:
1015:
1012:
1000:
996:
990:
987:
974:
973:Lianhe Zaobao
970:
964:
961:
956:
949:
946:
941:
934:
931:
926:
925:Lianhe Wanbao
919:
916:
911:
910:Lianhe Wanbao
904:
901:
896:
895:Lianhe Wanbao
889:
886:
881:
874:
871:
858:
851:
845:
842:
837:
830:
827:
822:
821:Lianhe Wanbao
815:
812:
807:
800:
797:
792:
785:
782:
770:. 16 May 2016
769:
765:
759:
756:
743:
739:
733:
730:
725:
718:
715:
710:
709:The New Paper
703:
700:
687:
683:
677:
674:
669:
668:Lianhe Wanbao
662:
659:
646:
642:
636:
633:
621:
620:Mothership.sg
617:
610:
607:
594:
590:
584:
581:
576:
575:Lianhe Zaobao
569:
566:
561:
560:Lianhe Zaobao
554:
551:
546:
545:Lianhe Wanbao
539:
536:
531:
524:
521:
516:
509:
506:
501:
500:Lianhe Wanbao
494:
491:
486:
479:
477:
473:
460:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
440:
435:
434:Lianhe Wanbao
428:
426:
422:
415:
411:
408:
406:
403:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
385:Chua Ser Lien
383:
382:
378:
376:
374:
373:
367:
365:
361:
360:Changi Prison
356:
352:
348:
344:
341:
337:
333:
327:
319:
317:
315:
310:
307:
303:
297:
295:
290:
288:
284:
280:
274:
266:
261:
259:
257:
254:with/without
253:
249:
244:
241:
236:
234:
229:
225:
224:Christmas Day
220:
217:
213:
212:Chua Ser Lien
207:
199:
197:
195:
191:
187:
182:
177:
171:Personal life
170:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
153:Changi Prison
150:
145:
144:Christmas Day
141:
140:Chua Ser Lien
137:
133:
132:Tan Ping Koon
124:
121:
117:
114:
110:
106:
103:
99:
95:
91:
90:Changi Prison
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
60:
56:
49:
44:
40:Tan Ping Koon
37:
32:
31:
26:
22:
1080:. Retrieved
1075:
1066:
1054:. Retrieved
1049:
1040:
1028:. Retrieved
1023:
1014:
1002:. Retrieved
998:
989:
977:. Retrieved
972:
963:
954:
948:
939:
933:
924:
918:
909:
903:
894:
888:
879:
873:
861:. Retrieved
856:
844:
835:
829:
820:
814:
805:
799:
790:
784:
772:. Retrieved
767:
758:
746:. Retrieved
741:
732:
723:
717:
708:
702:
690:. Retrieved
685:
676:
667:
661:
649:. Retrieved
644:
635:
623:. Retrieved
619:
609:
597:. Retrieved
592:
583:
574:
568:
559:
553:
544:
538:
529:
523:
514:
508:
499:
493:
484:
463:. Retrieved
433:
370:
368:
357:
353:
349:
345:
329:
311:
298:
291:
276:
245:
237:
228:Yio Chu Kang
221:
209:
178:
174:
131:
130:
28:
21:Chinese name
1104:1968 births
1082:11 November
1056:15 November
1030:15 November
1004:15 November
979:14 November
863:15 November
774:15 November
748:14 November
692:15 November
651:14 November
498:"2 被告欠阿窿".
465:13 November
287:Anthony Ler
136:Singaporean
65: 1968
25:family name
1098:Categories
625:9 November
599:9 November
416:References
372:Crimewatch
324:See also:
302:depression
279:High Court
271:See also:
204:See also:
161:High Court
105:Kidnapping
77:Occupation
194:Singapore
107:by ransom
70:Singapore
379:See also
306:epilepsy
233:Tampines
190:Malaysia
181:Tampines
19:In this
1024:AsiaOne
999:meWATCH
686:AsiaOne
112:Penalty
645:Corpun
364:parole
256:caning
163:judge
23:, the
880:TODAY
853:(PDF)
836:TODAY
742:TODAY
593:TODAY
248:death
1084:2022
1058:2022
1032:2022
1006:2022
981:2022
865:2022
776:2022
750:2022
694:2022
653:2022
627:2022
601:2022
467:2022
338:and
155:and
118:and
58:Born
1050:CNA
250:or
240:S$
216:S$
186:S$
159:by
151:at
30:Tan
27:is
1100::
1074:.
1048:.
1022:.
997:.
971:.
855:.
766:.
740:.
684:.
643:.
618:.
591:.
475:^
442:^
424:^
304:,
258:.
62:c.
1086:.
1060:.
1034:.
1008:.
983:.
867:.
778:.
752:.
696:.
655:.
629:.
603:.
469:.
33:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
