Van Driver Arrested After Police Chase, CDC Vouchers 2026, Marina Square Fraud & Hong Lim Market Fire

 

A high-speed police pursuit in Choa Chu Kang on New Year’s Day resulted in the arrest of a 34-year-old man and the hospitalization of a Traffic Police officer. The incident began at 5:20 PM on January 1 2026 when a white van failed to stop for a routine patrol check. During the ensuing chase, which was captured on viral social media footage, the van was seen weaving through traffic and driving through red lights while pedestrians were crossing. The pursuit ended at the junction of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7 and Keat Hong Link after the van collided with a Traffic Police motorcycle and skidded into a flight of stairs. The 25-year-old police rider and the suspect were both conscious when conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered a knife, a baton, and items suspected to be controlled drugs and drug-related paraphernalia. The driver faces multiple charges including reckless driving causing hurt, driving without a valid license, and possession of scheduled weapons.

On January 2 2026, the Singapore government launched the latest distribution of Community Development Council vouchers. Every Singaporean household is now eligible to claim 300 dollars worth of vouchers to assist with daily expenses. This disbursement represents the final part of a larger 800 dollar package announced in Budget 2025. The vouchers are split equally, with 150 dollars designated for participating heartland merchants and hawker stalls, and the remaining 150 dollars for use at major supermarkets. Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling confirmed that over 500,000 households had successfully claimed their vouchers online by the evening of the launch. These vouchers remain valid for use until the end of December 2026. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong noted at the launch event at Punggol 21 Community Club that these measures provide immediate assurance to citizens amidst global economic uncertainties.

In legal developments, a former assistant customer relations supervisor at Singapore Land Group was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison on January 2 2026. Aravindran Vallaban, age 26, pleaded guilty to a charge of cheating involving the Marina Square membership application. Between May 2024 and April 2025, Aravindran exploited his access to the mall’s customer relationship management system and used ChatGPT to generate fake phone numbers. He created 2,172 fraudulent accounts to exploit a referral campaign, successfully obtaining nearly 28,000 dollars worth of e-vouchers. The fraud was detected when management noticed an irregular number of referrals linked to his device ID. Aravindran has since made full restitution of the stolen amount.

The afternoon of January 2 2026 also saw a major emergency response at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre. The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to a fire at 12:40 PM involving the kitchen exhaust ducting on the second floor. The fire is believed to have originated from hot oil in a wok at Ho Kee Seafood, a stall operated by 80-year-old Teo Koon Guan for 23 years. Witnesses described thick black smoke billowing from the building as diners were forced to evacuate mid-meal. A neighboring stall owner, Mr. Eddy Wan, was credited with dragging the elderly Mr. Teo to safety as the fire grew. Firefighters used three water jets to extinguish the flames and evacuated four individuals from the affected block. No injuries were reported, and the Jalan Besar Town Council has since begun repairs to the damaged exhaust system to allow hawkers to resume operations safely.