Over 1,390 suspects nabbed in month-long multi-agency blitz
A total of 1,394 people are being investigated for criminal activities after a month-long islandwide blitz by law enforcement agencies ahead of the year-end festivities.
The suspects - 885 men and 509 women aged between 15 and 77 - are under probe for various offences, including providing sexual services at massage establishments, drug activities, illegal gambling and the sale of illegal sexual enhancement medicine.
Targeting entertainment districts like Little India, Boat Quay, Geylang and Chinatown, the police conducted checks on more than 6,700 people and arrested 523 during raids conducted between Nov 15 and Dec 18.
The police said in a statement on Dec 22 that more than 1,900 officers were deployed in over 630 raids. The Central Narcotics Bureau, the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the Health Sciences Authority, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs, Land Transport Authority, Ministry of Manpower, Housing & Development Board and the Singapore Food Agency were also involved in the concerted effort.
In a series of raids at Little India, Boat Quay, Bugis and Chinatown between Nov 20 and Nov 25, a total of 146 women and 36 men were arrested for, among other things, illegal gambling, drug activity and contravention of the Women’s Charter. Condoms were also seized from a shophouse at Little India, said the police.
Another operation on Dec 5 targeted vacant buildings at the Sungei Kadut industrial estate and led to the recovery of suspected controlled drugs, drug paraphernalia and knives. The joint operation involved the police, ICA and JTC and was part of the clamp down on criminal activities in empty buildings, said the police.
A raid at a migrant worker dormitory in Tuas targeted potential public order incidents, illegal immigration and customs-related offences, added the police. A total of 531 sticks of contraband cigarettes, two e-vaporisers and a packet of chewing tobacco were seized from that operation, they said.
Police have recorded a 35 per cent increase in the number of cases under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances Act and Offensive Weapons Act between January and October this year, compared with the same period in 2022, said director of the Operations Department and Senior Assistant Commissioner Gregory Tan.
“The four-week anti-crime blitz is part of the police’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on crime and illegal activities, including those in possession of weapons that intend to do harm to others,” he said.
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