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A 48-year-old man was found lying motionless at the park connector along Lakeside Drive at around 2:50pm on Jul. 25, 2024.
He was pronounced dead on the scene by an SCDF paramedic. Video showed a blue tent and police officers nearby A passerby posted a video on the "sgfollowsall" Telegram group, commenting that they believed someone may have died. In the video, the surrounding location is sealed off with white tape. Two police officers are also shown standing outside a blue tent, with a police car parked nearby. Police said no foul play suspected Responding to reporters queries, the police and SCDF said they received a call for assistance at 42 Lakeside Drive at around 2:50pm on Jul. 25. Based on preliminary investigations, the police said they do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing. A 45-year-old man will be charged in court on Jul. 26 for allegedly possessing offensive weapons and shooting metal pellets using a catapult, causing damage to the windows of HDB units in Bukit Panjang.
In a news release on Jul. 25, police said they received multiple reports of damaged windows at an HDB block along Jelapang Road from February to April 2023. The damage appeared to be caused by the impact of projectiles fired from somewhere nearby. Aimed pellets at metal signages for "practice" Police officers from the Jurong Police Division identified the man through ground enquiries and later arrested him along Jelapang Road on May 2, 2023. They seized a collection of clay and metal pellets, liquid gel balls, seven catapults, four airsoft pistols, one replica rifle which was capable of discharging water gel pellets, two samurai swords, and modified boxes believed to have been used for target practice. Early investigations revealed that the man had allegedly shot metal pellets using a catapult from his home towards metal signages along Jelapang Road on multiple occasions. The pellets also caused damage to the windows of nearby residential units. Penalties For committing a rash act, he may face up to six months' jail, fined up to S$2,500, or both. For possessing a gun without a licence, he may face up to three years' jail and a fine of up to S$5,000 for each gun. For possessing an offensive weapon, he may face up to two years' jail, a fine, or both. For possessing a scheduled weapon, he may face up to five years' jail and up to six strokes of the cane. SINGAPORE - An investigation officer (IO) at a private integrated services firm, which investigated vaping-related offences on behalf of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), molested two women who were found with vaporisers on them.
Zaini Ibrahim, 55, who is no longer working for WSH Experts, also asked one of the women for sex in exchange for his leniency in an investigation against her, but she did not respond to his request. He later made a recommendation to the HSA for the woman to be given a notice of composition. The Singapore Legal Advice website states that if a notice comes with an offer of composition, a person can settle an offence by paying the necessary amount, without having to turn up in court. On July 26, Zaini was sentenced to two years, four months and 10 weeks’ jail after he pleaded guilty to four charges including two counts of molestation. Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon said that HSA’s Tobacco Regulation Branch had contracted WSH to carry out enforcement operations linked to vaping. WSH then employed IOs and enforcement officers (EOs) to carry out such operations. The court heard that an IO’s duties include reviewing evidence and interviewing subjects linked to vaping-related offences. DPP Menon said that an IO may make recommendations for an offender to be given a written or verbal warning, a notice of composition, or prosecution. According to court documents, EOs detained one of the women, 41, at an undisclosed location on Jan 6, 2022, after items including a vaporiser were found on her. On March 29 that year, she went to WSH’s office in Mayo Street near Jalan Besar for an interview with Zaini. During the session, he asked her to sit closer to him, and she complied. DPP Menon said: “As he continued to ask questions, the accused started touching the victim’s thigh. (She) protested, but the accused ignored her protests and told her to concentrate on his questions.” He later touched her groin, and she pushed his hand away. Zaini later admitted to investigators that he was emboldened to touch the woman’s groin because he was the IO assigned to her case, and knew that she believed he could make a lenient recommendation in relation to her case. Separately, another woman, 44, was at the Woodlands Checkpoint when officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority stopped her on July 3, 2022. Two vaporisers were found in her possession and the matter was referred to the HSA. Her case was then assigned to Zaini who called her to schedule an interview to record her statement. He also went on WhatsApp to send the woman messages which took on a sexual nature soon after. On July 6, 2022, she went to WSH’s office for an interview. The interview and statement recording lasted around two hours. During this time, Zaini and the woman were alone in a conference room. The prosecutor added that during the interview, Zaini repeatedly made lewd and inappropriate sexual comments. While she was leaving, Zaini groped her chest. In a bid to move the conversation back to her case, she asked him how it would progress and voiced concerns about facing a high fine or a custodial term. Zaini replied that he would recommend a notice of composition if she “helped” him in exchange. “(She) asked the accused what he meant by ‘help’. The accused said that he wanted to have sex with (her but she) did not respond to this request,” said DPP Menon. Court documents did not disclose how Zaini’s offences came to light, but he was charged in court in December 2023. His bail was set at $10,000 on July 26, and is expected to begin serving his sentence on Aug 23. SINGAPORE – An alleged unlicensed driver of a van has been accused of failing to stop the vehicle during a police operation and driving away in a dangerous manner at speeds of up to 120kmh.
When cornered after a police chase, Mohamad Firdaus Mohamad Hassim allegedly bit an officer’s left forearm before he was arrested. On July 26, the 43-year-old man was handed eight charges for multiple traffic offences and a drug-related crime, as well as one count of voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant. He is accused of driving the van along Java Road near Beach Road without a valid licence at around 1.40pm on July 24. Traffic Police officers in the area signalled to him to stop the van for checks, but he allegedly did not do so. Police said in a statement on July 25 that the driver sped off instead. According to court documents, Firdaus allegedly drove in a dangerous manner and travelled along Nicoll Highway towards Sims Way at speeds of up to 120kmh. He is said to have swerved from the extreme right side of the road to the left, encroaching on the path of several other motorists and causing them to apply their brakes to avoid a collision. A police spokesperson said the man then stopped his van at the junction of Sims Way and Geylang Road and fled on foot. Officers managed to stop him along Lorong 9 Geylang. “While the officers were trying to detain the man, he bit one of (them) on his left forearm. Despite his injury, the officer managed to subdue and arrest the man together with another officer.” The 38-year-old station inspector later sought treatment at a hospital and was given three days of medical leave. Separately, Firdaus is also accused of failing to provide a sample of his urine at an office of the Central Narcotics Bureau on July 25. His case has been adjourned to Aug 23. If convicted of assaulting a police officer, he can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments. A first-time offender convicted of dangerous driving can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000. SINGAPORE – An administrative assistant, who was entrusted to collect money for a temple, lined her own pockets with over $38,000 of public donations and membership fees.
Tham Lai Ying, who was working at the Toa Payoh Seu Teck Sean Tong temple at the time, had used the misappropriated monies to buy groceries and dine in restaurants daily. On July 25, the 44-year-old woman pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal breach of trust as an employee. The court heard that Tham started working for the temple in February 2022 and received a monthly salary of $1,600. She was in charge of collecting donations from the public for charitable causes and membership fees. After she issued receipts for the money, she would keep the sums in a locked drawer. Once all the receipts in a receipt book were issued, she was supposed to hand over the book and the cash to the temple’s finance executive. About one month into the job, Tham started to misappropriate the temple’s money. She took $38,799 in total – $37,799 in donations and $1,000 in membership fees. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Li Ting said Tham stole the money out of greed, upon seeing the large sums of cash collected. In an attempt to cover up the crime, Tham withheld some of the receipt books from the finance executive. Said DPP Lim: “Initially, (Tham) also intended to cover up her misdeeds by replacing the misappropriated amount later on without others’ knowledge. “However, as the misappropriated amount grew, she could not afford to and did not do so.” In May 2022, the finance executive noticed the missing books and alerted the temple’s secretary-general. An internal audit was conducted the next month. When confronted by the secretary-general, Tham admitted to her misdeeds and was suspended. DPP Lim said Tham agreed to repay the stolen money through instalments, but has not done so to date. Tham’s lawyer S.S. Dhillon asked for sentencing to be adjourned to a later date, as Tham needed time to sort out issues including her outstanding rental and legal fees. An unrelated charge under the Computer Misuse Act and a theft charge will be taken into consideration for her sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug 13. For criminal breach of trust as an employee, Tham could be jailed for up to 15 years and fined. On Jul. 23, the Queks returned home to find their year-old infant crying in a "weird" manner.
Suspicious, they checked the CCTV in the home — and were horrified to find their foreign domestic worker (FDW) hitting their baby on the head with her knuckles. "We saw blue-black (bruises) on our son before, but we thought it was an accident," the boy's father, who wanted to be known only as Mr Quek, told reporters. They called the police, but initially believed it was only a one-off incident. It was only after going back to trawl the footage that they realised it'd been a regular occurrence. "Every day, at least three to four times," Mr Quek said. "She would hit his face whenever she didn't want to feed him his milk... one time we saw him with a cut on the eyebrow." Video footage seen by reporters revealed several instances of the foreign domestic worker slapping the baby, and the infant crying in response. In one, the blow landed with an audible thwack. His wife, Mrs Quek, told reporters that the whole affair has been "traumatising". "Because of her actions, she had caused me emotional pain... I'm not able to go to work as I couldn't sleep for the past two days," she said. Very lenient In the 11 months of the foreign domestic worker's employment, they have been "very lenient", Mr Quek said. The couple hired her primarily to take care of their youngest son. Mrs Quek would look after their older son, who is three, and they told her to prioritise the baby over the housework. "She gets a lot of rest time... We don't want to be very strict, because we didn't want her to be unhappy," he said. Her day typically began at 7am and ended at 8pm. At night, she slept with the baby and handled his night-time feedings, while the toddler slept with his parents — a decision the couple made as their older son was "very clingy and cried a lot". "[When] we requested that she sleep with the baby, we compensated her with less housework...no need to cook, no need to make breakfast for us. Housework we would help to do," Mr Quek explained. He added that she had rest time between 12pm and 5pm after completing the housework, while the children were away at childcare. Mr Quek also observed that despite the domestic worker being the baby's primary caregiver, he would typically refuse to go to her, preferring his mother instead. His wife added that the helper "broke [the trust] that we placed in [her]", and that as a result they are wary of hiring another foreign domestic worker in future despite needing the help. The couple have since lodged a police report. In response to reporters queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a report was lodged and that investigations are ongoing. Pet corgi dies after groomers in S’pore shop left it alone, CCTV shows it hanging by the neck7/25/2024 When Sonia dropped off her two pets, Fendi and Hades, for their grooming at Pawkins SG, she could never imagine returning with only one pet.
On Jul. 24, 2024, Fendi, the corgi, fell off the grooming table and struggled with a leash over its neck for a minute before passing away. Fendi was only one month shy of its fourth birthday. Speaking with reporters, Sonia shared the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage that captured Fendi's last moments. Six dogs unattended At 1:41pm, Fendi could be seen lying on the grooming table. It was leashed and muzzled. Sonia's other pup, Hades, was lying on the next table. In the same room, one pup was in a playpen, two others were roaming around the room freely, and another was leashed up. There was no staff in the room with the dogs. At 1:42:03pm, something off-camera triggered all the dogs to start barking. Fendi stood on the grooming table and barked before it fell off around 1:42:08. The short leash around Fendi's neck left it struggling as it stood on its hind legs. At 1:43:13, Fendi became motionless, and its tail stopped moving. 30 minutes At 2:17pm, the first employee entered the room and noticed Fendi was motionless. It had been about 30 minutes since Fendi stopped moving. The employee lifted it onto the grooming table and knocked on a door to alert another employee. A second employee came in and checked on Fendi before rushing out and getting a third employee. The third employee came in and saw Fendi before leaving the room. At 2:19pm, the second employee started to perform chest compressions on Fendi. At 2:20pm, the first employee wrapped a towel around Fendi before carrying it out. Owner informed later Sonia shared with reporters that she was only told about Fendi's passing at 3:14pm. One of the owners of Pawkins SG called her and told her that Fendi had been found unconscious. They did CPR on Fendi while rushing it to the vet. "From the video, it is clear my other dog, Hades, was also left on the grooming table leashed up. Fortunately, he was not harmed." Sonia added that she had been going to the same groomer since Jun. 14, 2022, and she had not had any issues with them before. She has since reported the incident to the police, who linked her with the National Parks Board (NParks). "[Fendi] was my first ever dog, I don't think I will ever get over this," Sonia said. "I will do whatever it takes to spread awareness and ensure that the Animal & Veterinary Service, NParks [and] Singapore Kennel Club knows that over the past few months, multiple dogs have died over the negligence of groomers and do something about it." Closed According to Google, Pawkins SG is temporarily closed. Shiba Inu dies after eating suspected poison-laced crumb found at Mei Ling St, AVS investigating7/25/2024 Sam (not his real name) was taking their family dog Kuro out for a daily walk when he noticed dead pigeons on the pavement and grass patch at Mei Ling Street on Jul. 5.
Distracted, the 30-year-old only noticed the bread crumbs next to the dead pigeons after he saw Kuro nibbling on a crumb. The 11-year-old Shiba Inu, who had been with the family since June 2013, began vomiting and having seizures four hours later. Kuro died later that night. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Animal Veterinary Services (AVS) said they were alerted to the incident and are looking into it. The cause of Kuro's death was not confirmed, though vets told the family his symptoms are similar to poisoning. The incident occurred just a week after five community cats were found dead at Mei Ling Street on three separate occasions. Dead pigeons found next to breadcrumbs Ella (not her real name), 24, said her brother noticed the dead pigeons when walking Kuro around 7:15am on Jul. 5. Photos and a video provided by Ella showed at least two dead pigeons found within the vicinity of a car park at Stirling Heights. Worried for Kuro's safety, Sam tried his best to steer the Shiba Inu away from the dead pigeons. As he was distracted, he was unable to stop Kuro in time as the dog munched on a crumb. Sam felt uneasy and worried, but thought nothing more of it. Kuro began vomiting and then having seizures Approximately four hours later at 11am, Kuro began vomiting numerous times. Worried, Ella's family made an appointment with the vet that evening. They then brought Kuro out so he could do his business. "When we took him out, he walked happily for a few minutes when suddenly he had a seizure at the entrance of our HDB car park," Ella recalled. This happened 15 to 20 minutes after Kuro last vomited. Kuro also began having nosebleeds and unstoppable bleeding from his paws. The family panicked and quickly called an aunt who lived nearby so she could drive them to the vet. "We felt very helpless when Kuro was having seizures," Ella said. The family attempted to soothe him with pats as they rushed him to the vet. An hour later, before the family could reach the vet, Kuro passed away. Kuro's sudden death was a huge shock for the family, leaving them with feelings of "sadness and helplessness". The dog did not have any prior sickness or health issues. The vets told the family that Kuro's symptoms are similar to poisoning, though no causes could be confirmed as the family chose not to do an autopsy. "With the recent Mei Ling cats passing away, it alerted us it could be something similar to it," said Ella. Naughty yet lovable boy Ella described Kuro as "a very naughty yet lovable boy". A playful dog that would steal family members' house slippers for attention, Ella said, "though at that time it was the most annoying thing he did, we miss it". The family added that they miss how Kuro would greet them by the door when they came home. Would like to raise awareness on the issue The family reached out to SPCA the day of Kuro's passing, as they did not wish for other pets and pet owners to go through the same ordeal. The authorities have been sympathetic and helpful during this tough time, said Ella, adding that they had an officer assigned to Kuro's case almost immediately. The family also sent Kuro’s carcass for a postmortem so that the cause of death can be investigated. "We just want to raise awareness about this matter, so that no other pet owners go through the same experience as us," said Ella. AVS and SPCA are investigating AVS and SPCA confirmed they are aware of the case, in response to reporters queries. "The SPCA has escalated the case to the AVS," executive director of SPCA, Aarthi Sankar told reporters. "We understand that the owner has also filed a report with AVS and is assisting the authorities with investigations." "The National Parks Board (NParks) has received feedback involving the death of a pet dog on Jul. 5, 2024, at Mei Ling Street and is looking into the matter," said Jessica Kwok, group director of AVS. SINGAPORE - The terrorism threat in Singapore has increased since the Israel-Hamas war, with the conflict seeing more acts of violence worldwide, which has affected the Republic.
In its annual report on terrorism released on July 25, Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) said terrorist elements have used the conflict to further their agenda. It said there has been more anti-Singapore rhetoric on social media from regional extremist elements, with some regional netizens perceiving Singapore to be pro-Israel. The agency added while there is no indication of an imminent threat to Singapore, vigilance is required. ISD said some regional extremist elements took issue with Singapore’s contribution to Operation Prosperity Guardian. The operation is an international maritime security force formed to respond to attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels against shipping in the Red Sea. From January to June 2024, the Singapore Armed Forces sent 12 personnel to help with information sharing and operations planning under this operation. Following this, ISD said there were social media posts urging attacks against Singapore using bombs and rockets, and calling for the Republic to be destroyed and wiped out. The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Israel responded with airstrikes and an invasion of Gaza. So far, more than 40,000 people have died. In March, US intelligence assessed the war will likely have a generational impact on terrorism. ISD said the conflict has sparked hate crimes and religiously-motivated attacks globally. Self-radicalisation a key threat domestically ISD said that in Singapore, self-radicalisation has continued to be the primary threat driver. A total of 52 self-radicalised individuals, including 40 Singaporeans, have been issued with orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since 2015. They include 13 Singaporeans aged 20 or younger. Since July 2023, three new self-radicalisation cases have been dealt with under the ISA. They involved two boys aged 14 and 16, and a 33-year-old Singaporean woman, who were all issued with restriction orders. The 14-year-old Secondary 3 student is the youngest person to be issued a restriction order under the ISA in Singapore. He had considered carrying out attacks in Singapore, and started an online chat group, hoping to recruit 60 to 100 people. He also tried to radicalise his schoolmates but failed. The ISD said his parents had noticed he was increasingly expressing segregationist beliefs, but did not think this warranted intervention and assistance. The 33-year-old, ex-public servant An’nadya An’nahari, supported the Axis of Resistance, a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organisations, including Hamas and the Houthis, and advocated violence against Israelis and Jews. ISD said the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict triggered the radicalisation of these two cases, underscoring the risk that foreign extremist narratives can pose to Singapore’s national security and social harmony. The agency added that these cases showed that anyone, no matter their age, gender, religion or profession, can be susceptible to radicalisation. Such radicalisation can take place in a short span of months. These cases also showed that young people in Singapore are vulnerable to online radicalisation by a variety of extremist ideologies, such as Islamist extremism and far-right extremism (FRE). Far-right extremism a growing concern ISD said FRE is a fast-evolving security threat, encompassing a wide range of beliefs that are often exclusivist. It also advocates violence as a means to safeguard ethnic purity or achieve political objectives, and is a rising security concern particularly for Western countries. In its February 2024 report, US-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that violent FRE ideologies had become more prominent globally, with FRE posing the most pressing terrorism threat in the US, Canada, and Europe. ISD said apart from encouraging individuals to engage in violence, such narratives also run the risk of polarising communities and deepening societal fault lines. The agency said youths are particularly susceptible and may gravitate toward the sense of belonging and identity that far-right movements appear to provide. The ISD said they have detected two cases of local youth being self-radicalised by FRE, the most recent being the 16-year-old boy, who was issued a restriction order in November 2023. ISD added even though he was of Chinese ethnicity, he had identified as a white supremacist, and aspired to conduct attacks overseas to further the white supremacist cause. He wanted to commit a mass shooting in the US in 10 years’ time. The ISD said his case mirrored a global trend: the growing participation of non-whites in FRE and white supremacist movements. Terrorism financing Despite the increasing use of cryptocurrencies, the predominant means for financial transactions by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its affiliates remain cash couriers and informal value transfer systems, said ISD. In Singapore, the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act criminalises the act of providing money for terrorist purposes. Since 2015, there have been 13 convictions under TSOFA – three Singaporeans and 10 foreigners. These cases involved funds being collected or raised in Singapore and transferred, or was about to be moved, in support of terrorists and terrorist activities abroad. Even though there were no prosecutions of terrorism financing offences in Singapore in the past 12 months, the country remains a potential source of funds for terrorists and terrorist organisations abroad, said ISD. This is because Singapore is a global financial centre and transport hub with a significant migrant workforce. ISD said the Israel-Hamas conflict has been exploited by terror elements for terrorism financing purposes. Charities and non-governmental organisations have reportedly been among the vehicles commonly used by Hamas networks to collect funds for the group globally, said the agency. There were reports of Hamas receiving US$8 to 12 million (S$10.7 to 16 million) a month through front charities. Hamas officials have also publicly called for donations, and termed such donations as financial jihad. The ISD said Singaporeans need to be vigilant about the avenues where they donate aid through. It added those hoping to donate should do so through charities such as the Red Cross and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation. Attacks triggered by the Israel-Hamas conflict 1. Oct 14, 2023: A six-year-old Muslim Palestinian boy and his mother were stabbed in their home in Illinois, United States, by their landlord. The mother, who suffered multiple stab wounds to her chest and torso, survived the attack, but her son died in hospital. The landlord was charged with murder and hate crimes as he targeted the victims because of their religion, and in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. 2. Nov 23, 2023: Three male college students of Palestinian descent, who were speaking Arabic and wearing the keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, were shot while walking in Vermont in the US. They survived, and the gunman was charged with attempted murder. 3. Jan 23, 2024: A gunman fired shots and threw a homemade Molotov cocktail in Edmonton City Hall in Canada. In a pre-recorded video, the man said his aim was to rise against leaders “responsible for the genocide in Gaza”. He was arrested and faces terrorism charges. 4. Feb 1, 2024: A gunman took seven staff members in a US company factory in north-western Turkey as hostages to protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. During the nine-hour standoff, he demanded a cease-fire in Gaza and the opening of aid routes, before Turkish police arrested him and rescued the hostages. Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should contact the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline on 1800-2626-473. SINGAPORE – Four people were taken to hospital after an accident that involved three cars and two motorcycles in Serangoon on the night of July 24.
A yellow car that had overturned and two damaged motorcycles were seen in the aftermath of the accident, according to a video uploaded to Facebook page Singapore roads accident.com. In response to reporters queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted at around 10.20pm to the accident at the junction of Lorong Chuan and Boundary Road. Two motorcyclists, aged 29 and 40, along with a male car driver and a female car driver, aged 45 and 76, respectively, were conscious when taken to hospital, said the police. Investigations are ongoing. Traffic accidents claimed the lives of 136 people in 2023, a 25.9 per cent jump from the 108 deaths in 2022. Motorcyclists and pillion riders accounted for half of all road fatalities. All in, 4,290 motorcycle and pillion riders were injured in accidents in 2023, which means that about 12 people were involved in motorcycle-related accidents per day. |
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