SINGAPORE - A 37-year-old man has been arrested for causing public alarm, after leaving his bag unattended in two MRT stations along the North-East Line on Monday (Oct 16).

The police, in a statement on Wednesday, said they were first alerted to a case of unattended bag at one of the exits of Farrer Park station at 12.25pm.

The bag was later collected by its owner, who left the station before police officers arrived at the scene.

Later at 2.10pm, another case was reported at Outram station.

As investigations were ongoing, the man approached police officers to claim his bag, which contained a laptop, mobile phones and computer-related paraphernalia.

He was revealed to have been the same man who left his bag at Farrer Park station.

Preliminary investigations have suggested that the man had intentionally left his bag inside both stations while he ran errands. Investigations into the case are still ongoing.

In their statement, police reminded the public that they treat all security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against anyone who intentionally cause public alarm.

Members of the public should not leave their personal belongings unattended, and are encouraged to report any suspicious items or behaviour to MRT staff or the police immediately.

If convicted of public nuisance, one could be fined up to $1,000.

The latest incident follows a spate of unattended bag cases in recent months.

On April 2, Chinese national Wang Jianpo, 39, sparked a security scare and the temporary closure of Hougang station after he left a suitcase containing household items unattended. He was fined $1,000 for causing annoyance to the public.

There were also similar cases at Aljunied and Admiralty stations in June and July that resulted in arrests.