Pop singer Stephanie Sun robbed at gunpoint in Egypt

The Singapore native and about 20 of her co-workers, including some from Taiwan, were forced to give up money and charge NT$260,000 from their credit cards, according to reports.

Sun’s parents, who were accompanying her on the trip, immediately sought assistance from the Singapore consulate in Egypt.

The consulate is protecting the group at a safe location in the country. Sun will be boarding a flight for Taiwan and will arrive here tonight.

According to reports, Sun’s group became suspicious when the local guide kept demanding money during the trip, claiming he needed it to cover expenses.

When Sun’s group refused to pay, the guide threatened to shoot them and said he had connections with local police, reports said.

Chen Tse-shan, the manager of Sun’s record company in Taiwan, declined to confirm that the local guide carried a gun but said Sun indeed felt threatened.

“What happened to Sun was worse than being robbed at gunpoint,” said Chen. “She was threatened.”

Sun originally had planned to shoot two music videos and the cover for her new album, which is scheduled to be released at the end of March.

But the incident has cut short her plan and leaves Sun’s group completing only half of a music video. Reports estimate that Sun’s record company lost upwards of tens of millions of Taiwan dollars due to the reported robbery.

Sun experienced a similar episode in Taiwan seven years ago when a man charged onto the stage during her album signing event, firing a shot with a toy gun. Police later said the man had intended to kidnap her for ransom.