Festive crackdown lasted almost 1 month & involved multiple agencies in S’pore
546 people were arrested and 1,771 are under investigation after the authorities conducted a festive crackdown on various unlawful activities in Singapore.
The wide range of offences included drugs, vice, gambling and illegal employment, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a news release last Saturday (27 Dec).
Source: Singapore Police Force
Festive crackdown involved over 1,400 operations
The multi-agency operations were part of SPF’s “concerted efforts to deter unlawful activities”, especially during the year-end festive period.
They were carried out over a period of close to one month, from 22 Nov to 20 Dec.
More than 4,500 officers from the seven police land divisions, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Traffic Police (TP) were involved.
The officers worked closely with agencies such as the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore Customs.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Together, they conducted more than 1,400 operations across the island, uncovering a “wide spectrum of offences”, including drug-related offences, e-vaporiser-related offences and immigration violations, SPF said.
3 massage outlets in Jurong East had no valid licence
Illegal massage outlets in the vicinity of Jurong East Avenue 1 were targeted on 22 Nov, with three outlets found to be providing massage services without a valid licence.
In one of the outlets, vice activities were detected.
14 women aged between 30 and 50 were arrested for various offences under the Women’s Charter, Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and Immigration Act.
Source: Singapore Police Force
All three outlets are under investigation for breaches under Section 5(1) of the Massage Establishment Act.
Illegal horse betting activities found in Bukit Batok
On the same day, an operation was conducted against illegal horse-betting activities at Bukit Batok Street 31, including at a coffee shop.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Nine men and one woman, aged between 52 and 78, are under investigation for offences under the Gambling Control Act.
More than S$10,000 in cash was also seized.
Source: Singapore Police Force
12 men caught for drug offences during raids in the north
CNB, MOM, HSA, ICA and TP conducted a joint enforcement operation across multiple locations in the north from 27 to 28 Nov.
These included North Coast Drive, Sembawang Road and Yishun Avenue 4.
It resulted in 12 men, aged between 23 and 40, being arrested by the CNB for suspected drug-related offences.
Three more men and two women, aged between 19 and 40, were found in possession of smokeless tobacco and e-vaporisers, or vapes.
Two more men, aged 19 and 58, are under investigation for road traffic and motor vehicle offences.
Sweeping vice raids in Dec turn up suspected Kpod user
Sweeping vice raids also took place in December, across massage establishments, public entertainment outlets and residential and commercial units in locations such as Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam, Orchard Road, Whampoa, Balestier and Robertson Quay.
From 1 to 6 Dec, 41 men and 147 women aged between 18 and 82 were placed under investigation for various offences, including prostitution, gambling, illegal employment and immigration violations.
Additionally, three men aged between 29 and 41 were arrested for being involved in an unlawful society.
A 25-year-old man, in particular, is being probed for possessing a suspected e-vaporiser that contained etomidate, or “Kpod”. He and two other men and two women are under investigation for offences under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
From 3 to 6 Dec, 10 men and 37 women aged between 20 and 88 were placed under investigation for offences including prostitution, gambling and illegal employment.
Source: Singapore Police Force
More than S$5,000 in cash and three mobile phones were seized.
Two massage establishments and two public entertainment outlets are under investigation for breaches under the Massage Establishment Act and Public Entertainment Act respectively.
Source: Singapore Police Force
5 men arrested in anti-gambling operation in Ajunied
On 14 Dec, officers from Bedok Police Division conducted an anti-gambling operation along Aljunied Avenue 2.
Five men, aged between 61 and 81, were placed under investigation for offences under the Gambling Control Act.
More than S$4,000 in cash was also seized.
Man found with vape
A 43-year-old man was found with a vape during a joint enforcement operation on 20 Dec.
It was conducted by officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division and HSA.
Public entertainment outlets in the vicinity of Macpherson Road and Upper Paya Lebar Road were raided for illegal activities.
14 motorists arrested during drink-driving operation
An extensive operation against drink driving was also conducted from 20 to 21 Dec.
After checking 88 motorists, 14 of them were arrested for various traffic-related offences, including driving without a valid driving licence and driving while under disqualification.
10 of the motorists arrested — nine men and one woman aged between 24 and 61 — had failed their breathalyser test and were arrested for drink-driving.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Additionally, seven men and one woman aged between 18 and 36 were caught with vapes. They were fined and their 37 vapes and related components were seized.
1 arrested during operations against car-sharing vehicles
Even car-sharing vehicles were not spared, with TP conducting “enhanced operations” against them.
A 23-year-old man was arrested after being suspected of multiple offences, including driving without a valid licence, driving without the owner’s consent, driving without insurance coverage, and cheating by impersonation.
Two 22-year-old women were found to be driving without insurance coverage.
Source: Singapore Police Force
In these cases, the car-sharing account holders were found liable for permitting the use of a vehicle without insurance coverage.
Over 15,900 people checked during festive crackdown in S’pore
In total, more than 15,900 persons were checked during the festive crackdown, SPF said.
546 of these people were subsequently arrested, and 1,771 people — 1,161 men and 610 women — aged between 15 and 88 are under investigation for various offences.
Source: Singapore Police Force
SPF Operations Department Director Leon Chan thanked all officers from the participating agencies, saying the operations underscore their “unwavering commitment to keeping Singapore safe”, especially during the festive period.
The close collaboration with partner agencies sent a “clear message” that SPF and partner agencies will “continue to take firm action against those who break the law”, he added.
Also read: Police detain 47 people during 4-day enforcement blitz, including raid on Orchard Road KTV
Police detain 47 people during 4-day enforcement blitz, including raid on Orchard Road KTV
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.
