He and his friend Kevin Yee Kai Kit were known for conducting armed robberies, which in a few cases involved huge amounts of cash.

He was respected by the Chinese Hakka community and often regarded as modern-age Robin Hood, as some say he shared the cash from the robberies with the poor.

After dropping out from school, Botak Chin worked as a fishmonger at the market at Jalan Tun Ismail (formerly known as Maxwell Road).

After his mother's death, he often spent time away from home, with his friends who were the local hoodlums that eventually led him to commit petty crimes.

Dr. Mahadevan, the former director of Tanjung Rambutan Mental Hospital in Ipoh, Perak, treated Botak Chin for 19 days to determine if he was adequately sane to stand trial.