Man, 21, arrested after allegedly stabbing GrabFood delivery rider in Marsiling

SINGAPORE - A 21-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a case of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons.

The police said they received a call for assistance at 214 Marsiling Lane on Dec 22 at about 10.35pm.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect purportedly got into a dispute with a 25-year-old male victim, and had allegedly used a Swiss army knife to attack him.

The suspect was eventually detained by two passers-by and subsequently arrested by the police.

The victim is believed to be a GrabFood delivery rider.

In a Facebook post on December 23, user Daniel Redha recounted how his younger brother, a GrabFood delivery rider, was attacked the night before at 214 Marsiling Lane following a dispute with a customer over whether the change could be transferred via Paynow, instead of being given in cash as requested.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Daniel said his brother met the customer at the lift lobby as no unit number was stated in the delivery address.

When the customer took out a knife, he said his brother tried to protect himself with a helmet but was allegedly stabbed in the abdomen.

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The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it had taken one person to Changi General Hospital, and another to Woodlands Health Campus.

Daniel said his brother, who is out of surgery, is under observation in the hospital. He added that his brother is "traumatised" by the incident, and also worries that he will not be able to make Grab deliveries - his only source of income - for some time.

Daniel hopes witnesses or anyone with video footage of the incident can come forward.

A Grab spokesperson told The Straits Times that the company is taking the case seriously.

"The safety of our community, including our delivery-partners, is our top priority and we do not tolerate any form of violence.

"Such actions are completely unacceptable and violate our code of conduct. We have banned the consumer involved from our platform and have reached out to the affected delivery-partner to offer our support," said the spokesperson.

The police said the suspect will be charged in court on Dec 24 with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons.

If found guilty, he can be jailed up to seven years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.

The police added that they have "zero tolerance for such brazen acts of violence and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law".

• Additional reporting by Fatimah Mujibah

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.