Two boys under probe for alleged vandalism linked to TikTok challenge
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Two teenagers are under investigation for possible vandalism of government property in acts that are believed to be linked to the "Devious Licks" TikTok challenge, said the police yesterday.
The challenge has seen participants in the United States bragging about the things they stole from schools on the video-sharing platform.
In Singapore, both cases involved the removal of government signs.
On Sunday at 5.16pm, the police were alerted to an image posted on social media sites of a teen holding a sign of the Kaki Bukit MRT station. The sign was originally on the frame of a sheltered walkway leading to the station.
The police received another report on the same day, at around 9.40pm, about a video showing a teenager holding a sign belonging to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The sign was originally fixed to the ground along Jalan Songket in Hougang.
Following investigations, the Kaki Bukit MRT case was linked to a 15-year-old boy, and the NEA one to a 14-year-old boy.
It was also found that the NEA sign had been returned to the original position after filming.
The "Devious Licks" trend is said to have been started on Sept 1 by TikTok user @jugg4elias, who posted a video of himself pulling a box of disposable masks out of his backpack.
The caption said: "A month into school absolutely devious lick. Should've brought a mask."
Since then, the trend has escalated to include the removal of lockers, toilet doors and even water coolers in the US.
Some schools had to cordon off bathrooms to avoid further thefts but that prompted students to steal the "Closed" signs.
TikTok, as part of its policy to block content that depicts criminal activity, has removed videos depicting the trend.
The police have issued a reminder that acts involving the removal of government property without permission are considered vandalism.
An offender can be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to three years and receive between three and eight strokes of the cane.