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Showing posts with the label Singapore News

Prison Officer Jailed for Smuggling Contraband for Inmate

  A prison officer and an inmate have been sentenced to identical jail terms for their involvement in a corruption scheme that involved smuggling prohibited items into a correctional facility. Mohammad Asri Abd Rahim, a 39-year-old officer with the Singapore Prison Service, was sentenced to 10 months in prison on October 9. The inmate he assisted, 50-year-old Mohamad Yusof Kasim, also received a 10-month sentence. The offences took place over a period of nearly one year, from August 2021 to June 2022. The court heard that the prison officer, who had been with the service since 2012, initially began bringing in a type of painkiller medication for inmates who worked as correctional unit attendants as a reward for their help. This arrangement did not initially involve monetary payment. The situation escalated when the inmate, Yusof, proposed a formal illegal arrangement. He offered to pay the officer to smuggle various contraband items into the Changi Prison Complex. The officer, afte...

Man Jailed for Exploiting Self-Checkout Machines

  A 47-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to one month in prison for systematically cheating a supermarket by exploiting its self-checkout system over multiple visits. Chang Ka Phin was convicted on October 9 on one charge of cheating for a series of offences that occurred between January and March this year. The court heard that Chang visited the Giant supermarket located at Block 883, Woodlands Street 82, on 26 separate occasions. His method involved selecting multiple items from the store shelves and proceeding to a self-checkout machine. There, he would scan the various items he intended to take but then cancel the transactions. He would subsequently scan only a single, inexpensive drink costing either 50 or 70 cents. By doing this, the system would register a successful purchase and allow him to exit, creating the appearance that he had paid for all his goods when he had only paid for the cheap beverage. This scheme continued until March 21, when a loss prevention off...

Car Ownership Costs Soar as COE Premiums Reach Historic High

  Youtube Link:  https://youtu.be/kIQ4o0ubCNk The cost of car ownership in Singapore has reached a new peak, with the premium for a key category of Certificates of Entitlement setting a record for the third consecutive bidding exercise. The latest results, which closed on Wednesday, October 8, saw prices rise across most vehicle categories. The most significant increase was recorded for Category A cars, which includes smaller cars with engines up to 1,600cc. The premium for this category rose by approximately $9,100 to reach a new high of $128,105. This follows a previous record set in the last bidding round. Prices for Category B vehicles, which are larger and more powerful cars, also increased, moving from $136,890 to $141,000. The Open Category COE, which can be used for any vehicle type but is typically for larger cars, experienced a slight decrease, settling at $140,009 from $140,502. Meanwhile, the cost for commercial vehicle COEs rose from $72,501 to $74,301. Motorcycle...

Singapore Car Impounded in Johor for Illegal Cross-Border Rides

  Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/_7kdkqkNitE A Singapore-registered vehicle has been impounded by Malaysian authorities for its alleged involvement in providing unauthorized cross-border transport services. The incident occurred on October 7 at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex in Johor. Officers from the Johor Road Transport Department, the local transport authority, stopped the car during an enforcement operation. The driver was suspected of operating the vehicle as a private-hire car to transport passengers across the border into Malaysia without holding the necessary operator's license required by Malaysian law. Following the inspection, the vehicle was seized and impounded to facilitate a full investigation into the alleged offence. The transport department publicized the enforcement action on its official social media channel. In its post, the authority also issued a reminder to all motorists. It urged road users to ensure that all thei...

Father Alleges Son Bullied and Injured at River Valley Primary School

  Youtube Link:  https://youtu.be/Q-8apaIbzew An incident involving Primary Three students at River Valley Primary School has prompted a response from both a parent and the school administration. The event, which occurred during the recess period on Monday, October 6, led to allegations of bullying and a subsequent injury. The father of one of the students involved publicly described the event in a video posted online. He alleged that his son was targeted by another student. According to the father's account, his son was sitting down to eat when another child, referred to as the "bully," snatched his wallet and ran away. His son gave chase and caught up to the other student, but was allegedly punched, after which he felt dizzy. The father stated that his son was later diagnosed with a concussion. He further claimed that after his son returned to his table, the other student took his snack and consumed it. The father also expressed significant dissatisfaction with the scho...

Indian National Jailed for Stalking and Molesting Woman in Her Home

  Youtube Link:  A 41-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for a series of intrusive acts, including molesting a woman after entering her condominium unit and repeatedly watching her without her consent. Thirupathi Mohandas, who worked as a construction worker and driver, pleaded guilty to one charge of molestation and two charges of voyeurism on October 8. The incidents began on the night of April 29. While walking along a road, Thirupathi saw a 35-year-old American woman naked inside her condominium unit. Finding her attractive, he resolved to see her again. The following night, he drove his company-assigned lorry to the area and, after observing her for some time, decided to enter the unit. At approximately 1:15 AM on May 1, after loitering outside for about an hour, he climbed over a ledge onto the unit's balcony. From the balcony, he watched the victim, who was sleeping and partially exposed, for 30 to 40 minutes. He then entered the bedroom ...

Music Composer Jailed for Possessing Child Abuse Material

  A 34-year-old freelance music composer has been sentenced to a substantial prison term for possessing a large collection of child sexual abuse material. Iliya Zaki Aziz was sentenced on October 8 to 22 months in prison and two strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to one charge of possessing such illicit content. The court heard that the offender's illegal activities began in 2020 when he developed a specific interest in underage girls. To locate this material, he conducted numerous internet searches and even translated his search terms into several foreign languages, including Thai, Vietnamese, Russian, and Indonesian, to broaden his access to illegal content. When conventional internet methods proved insufficient for finding the material he sought, he turned to the dark web, a hidden part of the internet often used for illegal activities. His methods involved creating accounts on various social media and messaging platforms. He specifically joined group chats on Telegram wh...

Married Couple Sentenced for Violent Assault at Orchard Plaza

  A married couple has been sentenced for their roles in a violent physical assault on a man at an Orchard Road building. Poh Guan Jun, aged 30, was sentenced to five months and two weeks in prison, while his wife, Sherlyn Loh Shin Hwee, also 30, received a fine of $1,200. The sentences were delivered on October 7. The incident occurred in the early hours of January 19 at the lift lobby on the fourth floor of Orchard Plaza. The couple had been consuming alcohol with friends earlier in the evening, having finished three bottles of hard liquor. They later moved to Cuppage Plaza to continue drinking. At the lift lobby, they encountered a group of six people, which included a 26-year-old Singaporean man who was visiting from his studies in the United Kingdom. The confrontation began when Sherlyn Loh deliberately stood in front of the lift doors to block the victim from entering, allowing her husband and their friends to board first. Poh Guan Jun, who was positioned behind the victim, a...

Police Seek Next-of-Kin After Two Deceased Found in Sengkang HDB

  A man and his daughter have been discovered deceased in their public housing unit in Sengkang after not being seen by neighbors for approximately one month. The discovery was made on the afternoon of Monday, October 6, at a unit located on the eighth floor of Block 324D Sengkang East Avenue. Police were alerted to the scene and have confirmed they are treating the case as an unnatural death. According to their statement, a man and a 47-year-old woman were found unconscious inside the residence and were pronounced dead at the location. The man was discovered in a bedroom and was reportedly in a skeletal state, indicating he had been deceased for a significant period. The woman, identified as Ms Xu Na, was found near the main door in the living room. The situation was uncovered after a resident living in the unit directly below reported a concerning issue. A 44-year-old man stated that his elderly mother, who lives downstairs, contacted him in the morning because a foul-smelling, r...

Vietnamese Woman Gets Life in Prison for Ang Mo Kio Corridor Murder

  A 43-year-old Vietnamese woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her boyfriend in the corridor of an Ang Mo Kio public housing block. Nguyen Ngoc Giau was convicted on October 7 for the fatal stabbing that occurred on July 15, 2021. The court heard that the victim, 51-year-old Cho Wang Keung, was a jewellery assembler and the owner of a flat at Block 562 on Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. Nguyen, a Singapore Permanent Resident, initially moved into the flat as a tenant in July 2020. Their relationship evolved, and she began sharing a bedroom with Mr. Cho. The situation deteriorated in July 2021 when Mr. Cho decided to end their relationship and asked her to move out. On the night of the incident, after drinking beer and attempting to call Mr. Cho without success, Nguyen sharpened a knife. She confronted him outside the flat shortly before 1:00 AM. During the ensuing altercation in the fifth-floor corridor, she stabbed him multiple times. The attack was witnessed by a...

15 Drivers Caught in Island-Wide Crackdown on Illegal Ride-Hailing

  The Land Transport Authority has caught 15 drivers for providing illegal ride-hailing services during island-wide enforcement operations. The drivers were apprehended in areas including Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, and Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim for offering unauthorized trips within Singapore and across the border to Malaysia. All their vehicles were impounded. The operations were conducted with tip-offs from driver associations. Drivers caught providing these illegal services face severe penalties, including fines of up to $3,000, a jail term of up to six months, and the potential forfeiture of their vehicles.  The public is urged to report any suspected illegal ride-hailing activities through the website provided: go.gov.sg/report-illegal-rides

Bus Catches Fire on PIE, 40 Passengers Safely Evacuated

  Youtube Link:  https://youtu.be/s6kiV3PYZHM A public bus carrying forty passengers was safely evacuated after a fire ignited in its engine compartment while traveling on a major expressway. The incident occurred on the evening of October 5 along the Pan-Island Expressway. The Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed it was alerted to the fire at approximately 10:30 PM. The location was on the PIE heading in the direction of Tuas, specifically after the East Coast Park exit. According to the bus operator, SMRT, the blaze was extinguished by an automated fire suppression system installed onboard the vehicle. This system activated before SCDF firefighting crews could reach the scene. The deputy managing director of SMRT Buses provided details of the response. He stated that the bus driver followed safety protocols by bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop at a safe location along the roadside. The driver immediately notified the company's operations control centre about the e...

Canadian National to be Charged for Assaulting Police at Changi Airport

  Youtube Link:  https://youtu.be/JGobBzgrjh0 A 28-year-old Canadian national will face court charges for an alleged altercation with police officers at Changi Airport that resulted in injuries to a law enforcement official. The incident occurred on the morning of Sunday, October 6, leading to the man's arrest. The police were first alerted to a situation at the public departure area of Terminal 1 at approximately 9:20 AM. The call concerned a man who was reportedly intoxicated and causing a disturbance at the airport. According to preliminary investigations, the situation began when a duty auxiliary police officer instructed the man to present his boarding pass and place it on top of his passport for inspection. Instead of complying with the instruction, the man allegedly began repeatedly shouting vulgarities at the officer. He then reportedly ignored subsequent warnings and walked away from the scene. When officers from the Airport Police Division arrived to manage the escal...

Man Arrested for Lying Drunk in Middle of Serangoon Road

  YouTube Video:  https://youtu.be/1nhWlUi4QA8 A 44-year-old man was taken into custody by Singapore police for public intoxication after he was discovered lying in the middle of a major road, causing an obstruction to traffic. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of October 4 at the location of 900 Serangoon Road. Authorities confirmed that they received a call requesting assistance at approximately 2:25 AM regarding the situation. Upon arrival, officers found the individual lying flat across one of the four lanes of Serangoon Road. His position on the roadway forced at least one vehicle to come to a sudden stop, despite the traffic signal indicating green for proceeding traffic. This action created a hazardous situation for both the man and motorists. Video footage of the incident, which was later shared on a social media page dedicated to road incidents in Singapore, captured the moment a car was compelled to brake abruptly to avoid the man lying on the pavement...

Singapore and FBI Collaborate to Nab Illegal Gambling Operators

  YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/LfbfaHsiyjU A major international illegal gambling syndicate has been disrupted following a coordinated operation between Singapore and foreign law enforcement agencies. On October 5, 2025, the Singapore Police Force arrested seven men, aged between 28 and 53, for their suspected roles in running a transnational remote betting operation. The investigation began in March 2023 after police received multiple reports from individuals who had been enticed to open accounts with an online gambling website. The victims were instructed to transfer money to anonymous bank accounts in exchange for gambling credits. Initially, the scheme appeared legitimate, as victims were able to successfully redeem small winnings, which were transferred back to them from untraceable bank accounts. This process built a false sense of trust and security. However, when victims continued gambling and attempted to withdraw larger sums of money, the syndicate changed its tac...

Instagram "Joke" Leads to Court Fine for Singaporean Man

  YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/fZcodSAr8PU A 22-year-old Singaporean man has been fined by the court for posting a threatening message on social media which resulted in a flight being delayed at Changi Airport. Azim Shah Abubakar Shah was fined $3,500 on October 6 after pleading guilty to one charge of making a threatening communication that was likely to cause alarm. The incident occurred on the evening of February 14. The police were contacted by a representative from the law enforcement team of Meta, the parent company of Instagram. The representative reported an Instagram story post that contained the text: "No one here knows I'm gonna blow the plane up". The company provided the police with the user's phone number and internet protocol address. Authorities traced the message to Azim and determined he was a passenger onboard an Etihad Airways flight that was preparing to depart Singapore for Abu Dhabi. The aircraft, which was already on the runway, was instruct...

Yishun Murder Suspect Returns to Scene of Alleged Crime

  YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/KPbrQxsICuM The man accused of a fatal stabbing in Yishun last month was escorted back to the residential block by police investigators. Koh Ah Hwee, a 66-year-old Singaporean, is charged with the murder of his neighbour, 30-year-old Vietnamese national Nguyen Phuong Tra. The incident, which occurred on the morning of September 24 at Block 323 Yishun Central, resulted in the death of the young mother. The victim was stabbed in the chest during the alleged attack. Her husband, aged 33, also sustained serious injuries while reportedly attempting to intervene and protect his wife. All three individuals involved were transported to a hospital, where Nguyen Phuong Tra was later pronounced dead. On October 6, as part of the ongoing investigation, Koh was taken from custody back to the scene. He arrived at the location at approximately 10:00 AM in a black van, accompanied by several plainclothes police officers. Dressed in a red top and blue shorts, ...

Simei & Tanah Merah, Bedok & Tampines MRT Stations to Close for 10 Days

  Commuters using the East-West MRT Line are advised to prepare for significant travel adjustments due to a scheduled station closure later this year. From November 29 to December 8, Simei and Tanah Merah stations will be completely closed to facilitate critical track connection works. This ten-day closure is part of a project to link the existing East-West Line to the new East Coast Integrated Depot. During this period, train services will be suspended between Bedok and Tampines stations, as well as between Tanah Merah and Expo stations. The Land Transport Authority estimates that approximately 180,000 commuters will be affected by this service adjustment. To maintain connectivity for passengers, two dedicated shuttle bus services will be provided. Shuttle Bus 7 will operate between Bedok and Tampines stations, stopping at Tanah Merah and Simei stations along the route. This service will run at a frequency of three to five minutes. A second service, Shuttle Bus 8, will run between...

Indian Nationals Get 5 Years, Caning for Robbing Sex Workers

  YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/orJaTwIb6bY Two men have been sentenced to significant prison terms and corporal punishment for carrying out violent robberies against two women in separate hotel rooms. Arokkiyasami Daison, aged 23, and Rajendran Mayilarasan, aged 27, were each sentenced on October 3 to five years and one month in prison and 12 strokes of the cane. The court was told that the two men arrived in Singapore from India on April 24 for a holiday. Two days later, while they were in the Little India area, an unidentified man approached them and offered contact numbers for sex workers. The men subsequently acquired the phone numbers of two women. Following this encounter, Arokkiyasami suggested to his companion that they should contact the women and rob them to obtain money, a plan to which Rajendran agreed. They then proceeded to arrange a meeting with the first victim at a hotel located on Jalan Besar at approximately 6:00 PM on the same day. Once inside the hotel ...

Mother Calls Police on Son Over Vaping and Violent Behavior

  YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/jONOczdcjqI A 15-year-old boy has been ordered to reside in a juvenile rehabilitation centre for a period of two years following his involvement in a series of offences that included violence, theft, and the use of electronic vaporisers. The sentence was delivered on July 21 after the teenager pleaded guilty to twelve separate charges. The case came to the attention of the authorities in a significant way on May 1, when the boy's own mother contacted the police, expressing concern over her son's behavior. When officers arrived at their home, the mother presented them with an electronic vaporiser and stated that her son had not been acting normally since he began using the device. The situation escalated when one of the officers instructed the boy to sit down, prompting the teenager to shout at the officer. The officer observed cuts on the boy's legs and insisted that paramedics examine him, but the boy became aggressive and responded with v...