16-year-old among 1,688 people investigated in largest anti-crime blitz since pandemic

SINGAPORE - The lights at a dimly lit Thai disco in Orchard Plaza suddenly came on and the music stopped, catching its patrons and staff by surprise as the authorities raided the venue.

There was a hint of a sweet aroma in the air, and a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) officer questioned three women in a VIP room.

An e-vaporiser was on their table. It wasn’t theirs, they claimed. The HSA officer took down their particulars anyway.

The midnight raid last Friday, which the media was allowed to witness, was just one of more than 300 operations the authorities conducted over five weeks, targeting illegal and criminal activities.

The raids between June 16 and July 23 saw 1,688 people – 1,080 men and 608 women aged between 16 and 82 – being investigated for various offences.

The police declined to say what offence the 16-year-old had allegedly committed.

This was the largest enforcement operation conducted by the police since the start of Covid-19.

The raid at the Thai disco involved officers from Tanglin Police Division, the Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), HSA, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Central Narcotics Bureau.

At the disco and another nightclub last Friday, one man and four women, aged between 28 and 33, were caught with vapes.

Vaping has been illegal since February 2018.

Anyone caught using, buying or possessing vapes can be fined up to $2,000. In 2022,

4,916 people were caught,

a jump from the 1,266 caught in 2020, and 4,697 in 2021.

In another VIP room at the Thai disco, over 10 women sat in a row as ICA and police officers questioned them about their work permits. Based on their permits, they were from Vietnam, Taiwan, mainland China and Thailand.

One woman held a work permit listing her as a public relations officer, when in fact she was suspected to be accompanying men at the club.

Almost an hour later, some of the women were led out in handcuffs and driven away in two police vans.

A man and nine women, aged between 25 and 32, were arrested for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, Societies Act and Immigration Act at the disco and nightclub last Friday, the police said.

SCDF said the nightclub and Thai disco were also cluttered with carbon dioxide cylinders, which contained liquid carbon dioxide used in fog machines to create a smoke effect. Both premises had stored six such cylinders each in common areas easily accessible to the public. The way they were stored posed a risk of tampering by guests.

In another raid on July 13, officers from Clementi Police Division seized over 52,000 cans of beer and 780 bottles of liquor at Jurong Gateway Road. A 46-year-old man is being investigated for an offence under the Liquor Control Act.

The media also tagged along on a raid targeting illegal online gambling at a commercial unit in Burn Road, off MacPherson Road, on July 12. When journalists entered the unit, a strong cigarette smell was detected. Six desktop computers displayed online jackpot machines as stacks of cash were strewn on the table. The currency seen on some screens was in Malaysian ringgit as the service providers of these illegal gambling dens were based overseas.

Six men, aged between 53 and 65, were arrested for offences under the Gambling Control Act and more than $1,800 in cash was seized.

Between June 16 and 18, the authorities conducted raids targeting illegal vice and gambling activities in Jalan Besar, Little India, Beach Road, Chinatown, Boat Quay and Serangoon Road.

A total of 10 men and 65 women, aged between 21 and 68, were arrested for offences, mainly under the Women’s Charter Act and Gambling Control Act. Condoms, lubricants, mahjong tiles and over $10,000 in cash were seized.

The five-week anti-crime blitz involved over 1,900 officers from all seven police land divisions. More than 3,500 people were checked, and 504 were arrested.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Gregory Tan, director of the police operations department, said: “By working hand-in-hand with other law enforcement agencies, we want to send a strong message to criminals that they will face the full extent of the law.”

SAC Tan noted that the public can act as the police’s eyes and ears in the fight against crime.

He added: “We urge members of the public to remain vigilant and to report any criminal or suspicious activities to the police.”