A 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly making two separate fake bomb threats involving two government premises.
The incidents involved Parliament House and the office of the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a press release sent to MS News on Wednesday (8 July) night.
Source: MS News and Google Maps
Last Friday (3 July), HTX received a submission from an online form which said that a bomb had been placed on its premises.
According to HTX’s website, the agency is located on the 12th floor of 1 Stars Avenue in one-north.
The building is also occupied by Mediacorp.
Source: Google Maps
When the report was received, the police conducted a thorough check of the premises, which included a systematic sweep of the building and its surroundings, but no item of security concern was found.
Days later on Tuesday (7 July), an anonymous email was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.
It said that a bomb had been placed at Parliament House.
When SPF received the report, it swept the building and its surroundings but again found nothing of concern.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Central Police Division subsequently identified a man who had allegedly sent both the bomb threats.
He was arrested on 7 July for his suspected involvement in the two cases.
Seized from him were several electronic devices that were believed to have been used to send the threats. They will be used as evidence for the case.
On Thursday (9 July), the man will be charged with communicating false information of a harmful thing, under Section 268A of the Penal Code 1871.
Those convicted of this offence face up to seven years’ jail and/or a fine of up to S$50,000.
SPF said it takes all security threats seriously.
It “will not hesitate” to take action against those who make false threats that cause public alarm, it noted, adding:
Such acts can cause public anxiety and divert valuable public resources into investigations.
Also read: 22-year-old NSF arrested over hoax bomb threat at Paya Lebar Air Base, investigations ongoing
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Featured image from MS News and adapted from Google Maps.