Two detained at Bishan MRT Depot, no arrests made
Two foreign men were detained and questioned briefly by police at the Bishan MRT Depot yesterday morning, after they were seen taking photographs of the facility.
The men were eventually let go and no arrest was made.
According to the police, at around 10am yesterday, security personnel alerted the authorities after the men were observed to be "behaving suspiciously" outside the depot.
A spokesman said: "The police interviewed and conducted checks on the two men. Nothing incriminating was found on them, and no arrest was made."
The New Paper understands that both men are Indonesian.
Responding to media queries, an SMRT spokesman said: "The vigilance of security personnel at Bishan Depot resulted in them approaching two individuals who were seen taking pictures of the train depot.
"The depot is gazetted as a protected place. Our security personnel detained the two suspects and handed them over to the police. The safety and security of our transport network is a key priority for us."
The incident happened two days after Parliament passed the Infrastructure Protection Bill, which strengthens security in key locations. Under the Bill, it is illegal to take photos or videos of sensitive installations without authorisation. Security personnel can stop people from doing so and can examine footage and have it deleted.
The Bill also makes it compulsory for new buildings to incorporate security measures before being built - otherwise known as "security-by-design" - with steps such as setting up video surveillance, vehicle barriers and protection against blasts. Selected existing buildings have to include such measures in their renovation plans.
This is not the first time that the Bishan Depot has been in the news.
In 2014, two German men entered the area and vandalised the left exterior cabin of an SMRT train with spray paint.
Andreas Von Knorre and Elton Hinz, who were both 21 at the time of the incident, were sentenced to nine months' jail and three strokes of the cane in March 2015.
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