Three people who applied strong glue to their hands to steal casino chips received prison sentences this week. The three Chinese nationals all pled guilty to conducting the theft at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort in Singapore, receiving prison sentences ranging between seven and ten months.

The trio stole S$1,575 (US$1,182) worth of casino chips from patrons before getting caught. They would pass their hands over stacks, using the glue to lift chips.

pretended the glue was eye drops

The mastermind was Huang Chunsheng, who wanted to steal chips in case he suffered gambling losses during his trip to Singapore. He told his two accomplices about the sticky plan, one being a man with a medical condition requiring the daily application of eye drops. The trio pretended the glue was eye drops, allowing them to get two bottles through airport security.

The three accomplices agreed that each person would keep whatever chips they stole, rather than splitting the total take. They targeted patrons who had big stacks of chips and were placing large wagers, thinking that these gamblers would not notice a few missing chips. However, one keen-eyed patron caught Huang stealing a chip from his stack and grabbed him. The thieves escaped, but they were arrested not long after.