Certis officer charged with carrying loaded revolver at Bugis+ mall
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Heng Jun Hao was allegedly armed with a Taurus revolver loaded with five bullets while he was at Bugis+ shopping mall.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
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SINGAPORE – A Certis auxiliary police officer has been charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm at Bugis+ shopping mall on May 9 and 10.
Heng Jun Hao, 28, was allegedly armed with a Taurus revolver loaded with five bullets
He is being remanded at the Complex Medical Centre in Changi Prison for an examination, the court heard on May 11.
The police earlier told reporters that more than 100 officers were activated to look for Heng on May 9 when the Singaporean failed to return his revolver and 10 bullets after completing his shift at Changi Airport.
He was arrested within 2½ hours of a report being lodged at 9.50pm on May 9, the police added.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Special Operations Command were among the units activated for the manhunt.
Heng, who holds the rank of sergeant, began his shift at 7.45am on May 9. It ended at 7.45pm on the same day.
He was supposed to return his equipment by 8.30pm but failed to do so, causing the armoury system to issue an alert at around 8.35pm.
Closed-circuit television footage showed him leaving the airport in civilian clothes before the police arrived.
Other than the loaded Taurus revolver, the police said he was also carrying a speed loader with five bullets and a baton in a pouch.
He was spotted walking around aimlessly past midnight in Bugis+ shopping mall in Victoria Street when he was arrested.
The police said he did not put up a struggle and did not try to reach for the gun, which remained in the pouch.
It is not known why Heng did not return his weapon, or what he was planning to do with it.
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Zhang Weihan said on May 10 that Heng had abused the firearm entrusted to him for his duties. A spokesman for Certis said Heng has been suspended and that the company would cooperate with investigations.
The offence of unlawful carrying of a firearm carries a punishment of between five and 14 years in jail, and at least six strokes of the cane.
