Two men arrested for leaving bags unattended in Aljunied MRT, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Two men arrested for leaving bags unattended in Aljunied MRT

This article is more than 12 months old

Two men, aged 25 and 27, have been arrested for leaving three large bags on the concourse of Aljunied MRT station yesterday morning.

The New Paper understands the two men are Bangladeshi workers who left their bags behind while they went to the toilet.

Station staff found the bags while carrying out a regular security check and alerted the police at 9.52am.

The three bags were later established to contain only food and household items.

At about 10.15am, officers, with the assistance of SMRT staff, traced and detained the men.

When TNP went to the station at 11am yesterday, two police officers were there.

An employee at the ZTP Ginseng Birdnest outlet at the station, who declined to be named, told TNP he was opening the shop at 9.30am when he noticed the two Bangladeshi men standing outside.

He said: "They had three big haversacks, and they walked away and left their bags behind.

He said: "Within 10 minutes, two station staff and at least four policemen were investigating the bags.

"The Bangladeshi men returned and were taken into the station."

A police spokesman said: "The police would like to remind the public not to leave personal belongings unattended and to report any suspicious items or behaviour to the MRT staff or the police immediately."

Last month, two MRT stations had to be closed over security concerns over unattended bags.

On April 2, Hougang MRT station was closed for an hour after a 39-year-old man left a bag unattended.

Wang Jianpo was charged in court this month with causing annoyance to the public.

Woodleigh MRT station was closed for about three hours on April 18 as a precaution after a cleaner found suspicious white substance on the premises.

The substance turned out to be flour that a running group had used to mark out their route.

tnp@sph.com.sg

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