SINGAPORE – A 20-year-old man was arrested for possessing an offensive weapon in a Sengkang Housing Board block on the afternoon of Jan 12.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 278A Compassvale Bow at about 2.10pm.

When ST arrived at the HDB block at about 4.40pm, three police vehicles and a crime scene investigation van were parked at the foot of the block.

Seven police officers in protective gear were seen in the corridor leading to the second-floor unit.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A construction worker told ST that police officers had approached him at 3pm to ask if he had seen a man with a knife.

A resident of an opposite block, who declined to be named, said she was alerted to the incident through a messaging group chat for residents of the estate.

“At about 2.30pm, many residents were saying there were a lot of police (officers) around, with at least 10 cars around the estate,” she added.

In a separate case in October 2023, 49-year-old Joel Ezekiel, who posted a video of himself wielding a samurai sword in public, was charged in court with possession of the weapon.

Officers who raided his home found more weapons, including a butterfly knife, a knuckle duster and a flick knife.

Another case in the same month saw Muhammed Firdaus Amir Musa, 38, arrested for allegedly attacking two Traffic Police officers with a stun device.

According to court documents, he was also found with two knuckle dusters, a sword, a chopper and a serrated knife.