A 39-year-old man was arrested on Monday (Jan 5) for his alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment in Choa Chu Kang.It took place at about 1.35pm on Jan 2, at a residential unit along Keat Hong Link, the police said on Tuesday (Jan 6).In a image provided by the police, the front door, gate and a section of the common corridor in front of the said unit are covered with white paint.The man was identified by officers from Jurong Police Division through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.He will be charged in court on Jan 7.If found guilty, he may be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to five years, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.The police warned that they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities and will deal severely with those caught doing so, in accordance with the law.They also advised members of the public to stay away from loansharks and not to work with, or assist them, in any way.[[nid:727187]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 36-year-old male Chinese national, who attempted to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore by wrapping the contraband items in aluminium foil, had his attempt foiled by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport.The incident took place on Dec 27, said ICA in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 6).The authority's search and examination officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of a baggage and proceeded to conduct further checks.During the checks, 209 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found wrapped in aluminium foil in the baggage.Based on the pictures in ICA's post, there was an assortment of at least three different brands/flavours.

A New Zealand woman who flew to Auckland from Singapore was caught with 18.45kg of methamphetamine in her luggage.New Zealand Customs said on Tuesday (Jan 6) that the 33-year-old had arrived at Auckland Airport on Jan 4.She was referred to Customs for further questioning, where officers checked her belongings and discovered 18 vacuum-sealed packages containing a white crystalline substance in her baggage.Tests determined that the substance to be meth, also known as «Ice».The seized drug could produce 922,500 doses and has a potential street value of NZ$5.53 million (S$4 million), estimated the New Zealand Customs.According to the New Zealand Herald, the woman was on flight SQ285, which flies directly from Singapore to Auckland.It is unknown if she had departed from Singapore, or if she was transiting through Changi Airport.She was charged in court on Monday Jan 5 with importing a Class A controlled drug into the country.The New Zealand Herald also cited court documents as showing that she does not have a registered home address in New Zealand.She could be given the death penalty if found guilty.

A 23-year-old Kpod user who did not attend compulsory rehabilitation was taken to court for possessing etomidate, a controlled drug.Singaporean Tang Yu Ling was convicted of the charge and sentenced to one week's jail on Tuesday (Jan 6).This is the first case of a person being charged for an e-vaporiser related offence for failing to attend rehab, said the Health Science Authority (HSA) on Tuesday.On Sept 2, 2025, Tang was caught with a vape and vape pod in Tengah. The pod was analysed and found to contain etomidate, which was listed as a Class C drug from Sept 1.According to HSA, she was issued a composition fine and ordered to attend a rehabilitation programme, in lieu of prosecution.But she failed to show up for the first appointment for the rehabilitation programme on Sept 24, and for subsequent appointments despite reminders.HSA said rehabilitation is offered to offenders at the first instance to give them a chance to quit with professional support. Attendance is mandatory.«However, offenders, as in the case of Tang, who fail to attend and/or complete their rehabilitation will be charged in court,» it stated.

A 36-year-old male Chinese national, who attempted to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore by wrapping the contraband items in aluminium foil, had his attempt foiled by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport.The incident took place on Dec 27, said ICA in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 6).The authority's search and examination officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of a baggage and proceeded to conduct further checks.During the checks, 209 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found wrapped in aluminium foil in the baggage.Based on the pictures in ICA's post, there was an assortment of at least three different brands/flavours.

A motorcyclist died after an accident with a car in the early hours of Tuesday (Jan 6) on the Seletar Expressway (SLE).A video of the incident was uploaded to Facebook by Farizatul Firdaus, who said that the accident had caused a traffic jam near an exit on the expressway at 6am.In the video, several people can be seen surrounding the motorcyclist and attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation as traffic in neighbouring lanes continues.An ambulance is also seen parked behind the car and motorcycle involved.Blood can be seen splattered on the road as authorities surround the scene.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to an accident involving a car and a motorcycle along SLE towards Central Expressway at around 6am.The 42-year-old male motorcyclist involved was taken unconscious to Sengkang General Hospital, where he subsequently died. A 48-year-old male car driver is assisting with investigations, the police said.Investigations are ongoing.[[nid:727718]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

A Malaysian man has been sentenced to four weeks' jail for attempting to enter Singapore illegally at the bus hall of Tuas Checkpoint on Dec 22. Yusman bin Yusoff, 42, was charged with failing to present a passport for clearance after he attempted to tailgate another traveller who was undergoing immigration clearance, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Tuesday (Dec 6). His actions were detected by ICA's automated lane system, which alerted an officer stationed at the lanes. The officer subsequently stopped Yusman and the traveller in front of him, and following checks, it was established that Yusman and the other traveller did not know each other.Yusman was subsequently arrested.ICA added that automated lanes at checkpoints are equipped with mechanisms that detect anomalies, such as tailgating, and alert officers for immediate intervention.Under the Immigration Act 1959, all persons entering or departing Singapore are required to present a valid travel document to an immigration officer. Those who fail to do so face a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both.

A six-year-old boy fractured his nose in a fall at Canopy Park's Walking Net attraction during an outing to Jewel Changi Airport during the year-end school holidays. The incident occurred on Dec 10 when the boy lost his footing while running on the net and fell onto the wooden platform. Suspended 25 metres above ground, the Walking Net allows visitors to walk across it.He was accompanied by his mother, who wished to only be identified as Anna, and nine-year-old brother. She told CNA that she had not witnessed her son running, and only saw him as he was falling. She was not able to rush over in time to catch him. Anna recalled her son's face covered in blood and that staff members immediately provided first aid.The boy's father, who wished to be identified only as Richard, said his child suffered a laceration across his nose bridge and underwent surgery the next day for an open nasal bone fracture, reported CNA. «There will definitely be a scar, a permanent scar. He will carry this scar for the rest of his life,» said Richard, adding that the surgery left his boy with more than 30 stitches.

A durian stall in Ang Mo Kio is giving away 200 portions of durians daily over five days as a way of giving back to the community, and on the first day, all of it snapped up within two hours. From Jan 5 to 9, Nabayla Durian at Block 530 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 is distributing packs of XO and D24 durians to seniors aged 55 and above from 5pm daily, while stocks last, reported 8world. During this period, the stall will also offer premium Black Gold Musang King durians at a discounted price of $8 per kilogram (kg).  The owner, identified as Ah Ping, told 8world that their Black Gold Musang King durians are usually sold for $15 per kg, while XO and D24 durians cost around $8 to $10 each. She initially feared that people would not know about the event but word quickly spread, attracting a line of seniors on Monday (Jan 5) when the giveaway started. Ah Ping shared that giving out durians for free was their way giving back to the community, adding it was not the first time they had done so. 

An elderly man was arrested after locking himself in his Teck Whye HDB unit and sitting on the window ledge in the wee hours last Friday (Jan 2).A resident living nearby noticed a burning smell and did not get a response when he knocked on the door of the man's unit, reported Stomp.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 165A Teck Whye Crescent at around 3.05am that day.Upon arrival, they noticed a man sitting on the window ledge of a residential unit and that he had locked himself in a room.Based on their assessment of the situation, the police believed that the man posed a danger to himself.Officers from the Special Operations Command, Crisis Negotiation Unit and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were subsequently called to the scene.Police officers were able to gain entry into the locked room at around 6.35am after the 67-year-old man relented and opened the door.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducted inspections at commercial premises in the week leading up to the New Year and detected «several fire safety non-compliances» at two places.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 6), it said that the enforcement checks, conducted in the week of Dec 29, are part of ongoing efforts to maintain and enforce a high standard of fire safety in buildings and premises.«These include obstructions to exit doors, dry risers and fire extinguishers, non-maintenance of fire safety provisions such as hose reels and fire alarms, and improper storage of combustibles at one of the premises,» it added.Those found in breach of the Fire Safety Act will face enforcement action, such as issuing a Fire Hazard Abatement Notice.The notice is a written warning that requires the responsible entities to take the necessary steps to reduce the fire hazard within a specific time period, including to prevent its recurrence.SCDF also reminded all premise owners to fully comply with fire safety regulations for the safety of their residents and occupants.

The body of a 34-year-old woman was discovered on a ledge of a HDB block in Hougang on Monday (Jan 5) morning.The police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at Block 375 Hougang Street 31 at 8.30am.The woman was found lying motionless and pronounced dead by a paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force.According to Mothership, the woman was found on the ledge above the waste collection centre.Based on preliminary investigations, the police said foul play is not suspected.Police investigations are ongoing.SINGAPORE HELPLINESSamaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800Institute of Mental Health's national mindline: 1771 (24 hours)/ 6669-1771 (via WhatsApp)Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928We Care Community Services: 3165-8017[[nid:727072]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

A family will be able to have their reunion dinner at their childhood home in Boon Lay after volunteers pitched in to clean up the five-room flat filled with clutter.The 76-year-old resident, surnamed Guo, told Shin Min Daily News she did not have the strength to clear the stuff she had accumulated over the years.The unit had been overflowing with stacks of household items, bags, containers and more, sparking concern from her children, who had moved out some 10 years ago.Guo's two daughters told Shin Min they were worried that the flat might be a fire hazard or that items piled high could fall and pose a danger to their elderly parents.They hence approached volunteer organisation AMKSS Social Move, which agreed to help.To ensure that the decluttering effort would not be hindered, the daughters reportedly told their mother a white lie — that the items had been «sold» to someone for $1,000. On Sunday (Jan 4) morning, volunteers gathered at Block 268A Boon Lay Drive, spending about eight hours to clear the mess in the flat and along the corridor. 

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) bade farewell to Commissioner of Police (CP) Hoong Wee Teck in a ceremony on Monday (Jan 5), as the force welcomed their new top cop, How Kwang Hwee.Hoong Wee Teck, 62, has served 38 years in the SPF, leading it for 11 years — since 2015. He is credited for having significantly strengthened the capabilities of the police, particularly in the adoption of new technological capabilities which have enabled the force to carry out its mission of crime fighting and prevention.In his farewell speech, Hoong paid tribute to the «strong trust and shared responsibilities» from its partners and the public for making Singapore a safe country.«A safe country is not built by police officers alone. It is built by a community that believes in the common purpose, anchored by the strong trust and shared responsibilities.»To our partners, including our fellow Home Team and public service agencies, volunteers, community stakeholders and overseas counterparts, thank you for your collaboration, your vigilance and your unwavering support," he said.