Chinese tourist loses LV bag to thief at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay on first trip abroad

A Chinese tourist recovered his Louis Vuitton handbag within 20 minutes of its alleged theft at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, but several items inside, including his passport and camera, were missing.

The tourist, who goes by Lao Hei Livefree on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, recounted the incident during his first trip abroad, AsiaOne reported.

"It was truly an extraordinary trip. My first time abroad, even my first time leaving the country, my first time in Singapore, and I got robbed!"

Photos accompanying his post showed him speaking with police at the park, where several officers examined the luxury handbag. Police also gave him a card confirming that the case would be investigated further.

Photos from Xiaohongshu shows Lao Hei Livefree telling story of him being escorted by a police officer to search for his bag and a police card confirming the case is under investigation.

The tourist said the incident occurred at around 9 p.m. on Oct. 5, after he watched a light show with friends at Supertree Grove.

He had placed his bag behind him while leaning forward to discuss their itinerary when he heard rapid footsteps. When he turned around, the bag was gone.

He tried using his wireless earphones to locate it but failed. Believing the alleged thief could not have gone far, he headed toward an exit in an attempt to intercept the suspect.

"Just then, I bumped into someone and waved my hand to ask for directions, but he took off running," he said.

Suspecting the man was involved, the tourist chased him and grabbed a paper bag he was carrying. Inside was his Louis Vuitton handbag.

However, several belongings were missing, including his passport, pocket camera and livestreaming equipment. Even a sock he had kept in the bag was gone.

An eyewitness reportedly told him that someone had been seen carrying his pocket camera and other belongings stuffed inside the sock.

Lao Hei Livefree alleged that the suspect, who wore a black headscarf, escaped by disappearing into nearby bushes.

Speaking to Mothership, the tourist said the bag contained three passports, a Dior wallet, S$200 (US$156), 800 yuan ($120) in cash and several camera accessories.

He said he had recovered one of the passports after finding it under a tree in the park, where he believed the thief had discarded it.

Although he appeared less concerned about the financial loss, he said recovering his passports was a priority.

The tourist believes the theft may have involved a group of people. He also suspects that the man he confronted may not have been the person who took his bag but someone tasked with collecting stolen items.

He claimed to have reviewed CCTV footage from Gardens by the Bay and said the man appeared to avoid surveillance cameras while moving around the park.

In response to AsiaOne, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a report had been lodged and investigations were ongoing.