3 men arrested for setting off fireworks in Yishun on Deepavali

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The men had set off the fireworks at the top deck of the carpark at Block 419A, Yishun Avenue 11, at 12.07am on Deepavali on Oct 18. PHOTO: STOMP

SINGAPORE - Three men in their 30s have been arrested for setting off dangerous fireworks at a multi-storey carpark in Yishun, the police said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 24).

The men, aged between 30 and 32, had set off the fireworks at the top deck of the carpark at Block 419A, Yishun Avenue 11, at 12.07am on Deepavali on Oct 18.

After extensive investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division identified the three men involved in the incident.

Two of them were arrested on Monday, while a third was arrested on Tuesday.

Investigations are ongoing.

If convicted of the offence of discharge of dangerous fireworks, they can jailed for up to two years and/or fined between $2,000 and $10,000.

Last Friday, another man was arrested for setting off fireworks on the same day at a Housing Board block in Ang Mo Kio.

The 37-year-old was arrested two days after the police were alerted to the case.

The use of fireworks in Singapore was first regulated in 1968, when rocket-type fireworks were banned after they were found responsible for a third of the 150 fires that broke out during Chinese New Year that year.

In 1972, this became a total ban with the Dangerous Fireworks Act, which had stricter penalties.

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