A twenty nine year old former auxiliary police officer has been sentenced to six years six months and two weeks of imprisonment along with six strokes of the cane. Heng Jun Hao received this sentence on April 8 2026 after pleading guilty to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and committing mischief. The case dates back to May 2024 when the individual was apprehended by a large force of law enforcement officers at a shopping complex in the central district while in possession of a loaded service revolver.
The events surrounding the incident began to unfold on the evening of May 8 2024. Heng who was employed as a sergeant with Certis was experiencing significant personal distress following a relationship breakup. His girlfriend had decided to end their relationship after discovering that he had continued a long term gambling habit despite promising to quit. This habit had reportedly started when he was twenty years old and had led to the accumulation of significant debts. The prosecution noted that the individual felt devastated and believed he had failed those he loved.
The following morning on May 9 2024 Heng reported for his scheduled work shift at a building on Airport Boulevard. He had been deployed to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore at Changi Airport since joining the security firm in October 2023. As part of his standard duties he was issued his operational equipment from the company armoury which included a revolver ten rounds of ammunition and a baton. Following standard operating procedures he loaded five rounds into the weapon.
After completing his shift at approximately 8pm Heng did not return his equipment as required. Instead he informed his partner that he needed to use the restroom but instead concealed the loaded revolver and baton in his backpack. He then departed the premises via a taxi and traveled to the Rochor Canal Road area. He eventually made his way to a cinema located within the Bugis+ shopping mall to watch a film.
The security firm detected the missing weapon shortly before 8.40pm through an automated alert system which flags equipment that has not been returned within fifty minutes of a shift ending. When internal searches failed to locate the officer the matter was escalated to the police at around 10pm. This led to a massive manhunt involving more than one hundred officers. Heng was spotted and arrested at the mall at approximately 12.20am on May 10 2024 as he was leaving the cinema. Authorities confirmed that he did not resist arrest or attempt to use the firearm during the encounter.
During the investigation Heng admitted that he had taken the weapon with the intention of taking his own life. He stated that he watched a movie to give himself time to find a suitable location for his intended actions. Following his initial arrest he was released on bail in June 2024 and was required to wear an electronic monitoring tag. However in October 2024 he was arrested again after cutting off the device with scissors. He told investigators he had intended to evade tracking to attempt self-harm again at East Coast Park due to further financial troubles after losing a subsequent job as a concierge.
The security company confirmed that the individual’s employment was terminated on May 21 2024. A spokesperson emphasized that the company has a zero tolerance policy for the misuse of firearms and has since implemented even more stringent processes to ensure weapons are tracked accurately. The defense argued that the accused never had any intention of harming members of the public and that his actions were driven by personal despair. The court however noted the serious nature of carrying a loaded firearm into a high traffic public area which necessitated a significant custodial sentence and corporal punishment.
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