13 men arrested for being suspected members of secret societies
13 men arrested for being suspected members of secret societies
SINGAPORE – Thirteen men aged between 23 and 42 were arrested for being suspected members of secret societies during a two-day operation.
On May 23 and 24, almost 90 people and more than 40 public entertainment outlets, nightlife establishments and food and beverage outlets were checked.
The islandwide operation was led by the Secret Societies Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department, said the police in a statement on May 31.
Investigations into all suspects are ongoing.
The police said they will continue to conduct such operations and take firm action against those who associate with secret societies.
They also advised the public to steer clear of secret society activities and make police reports against those who engage in such activities. Anyone found guilty of being a member of an unlawful society may face a jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
More than 1,300 suspected members of unlawful societies were arrested from 2022 to 2024.
According to figures from the Singapore Prison Service, there has been an increase in the number of young people jailed for their involvement in secret society activities under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Paper
11 hours ago
- New Paper
Govt official impersonation scams involving cryptocurrency claim at least $2m in Q1
At least $2 million was lost to government official impersonation scams involving cryptocurrency in the first three months of 2025. The police said on Aug 11 that the losses from January to March involved at least 19 reported cases. In this scam variant, victims would receive unsolicited calls from scammers impersonating representatives from banks, insurance companies, payment institutions, airlines or telecommunications companies. The conmen would claim that the victim had conducted banking or financial transactions or had outstanding premiums associated with a new or expiring insurance policy. They may also claim that the victim had phone numbers or other registered personal banking information that were found to have been involved in fraudulent activities. When victims deny involvement in such activities, they would be transferred to another scammer impersonating a government official from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Ministry of Law or the Chinese police, for example. This scammer would accuse the victims of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering. Scammers would then ask victims to perform cryptocurrency transfers to a "safety account" for alleged investigation purposes. The conmen would instruct victims to download cryptocurrency applications such as Coinbase, OKX or StraitsX, said the police in their statement. The scammers would then ask victims to buy and transfer cryptocurrencies to a cryptocurrency wallet address. In some cases, the scammers would provide victims with specific e-mail addresses and passwords to set up accounts with. Victims would realise they had been scammed only when the conmen become uncontactable or when victims seek verification from SPF. The police urge the public not to transfer or give out valuables such as cryptocurrencies to people they do not know. They added that government officials will not require the public to disclose personal information over phone calls, or ask them to transfer money. Government officials will also not transfer calls to the police or ask the public to install applications from unofficial app stores. For more information on scams, visit


New Paper
2 days ago
- New Paper
Man who tried to hack RedeemSG arrested
A 39-year-old man was arrested for his suspected involvement in a hacking attempt on RedeemSG, the Government's digital voucher system. A police report was lodged by the RedeemSG team on July 28, following multiple suspicious attempts to access voucher links on its portal. The attempts were unsuccessful and no vouchers were compromised, the police said in a statement on Aug 10. Within a day of the report, officers from the Cybercrime Command under the Criminal Investigation Department identified the man and arrested him on July 29. Authorities also seized a laptop which was used in committing the offence for further investigation. The man is currently being investigated for the offence of attempted unauthorised access to computer material under the Computer Misuse Act. If found guilty, he may face a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Police investigations are ongoing.


Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Police arrest man in Penang over upside-down Malaysia flag
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox GEORGE TOWN - A 59-year-old man has been arrested over an incident involving Malaysia's national flag, the Jalur Gemilang, displayed upside down on Aug 9. State acting police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the suspect was detained on Aug 9 to assist investigations. 'The case is being investigated under Section 5 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act,' he said in a statement on Aug 10. Mr Alwi said police have received 16 reports nationwide, with 12 lodged in Penang and four outside the state. He said investigation papers would be submitted to the state Deputy Public Prosecutor's Office on Aug 11 with a recommendation for charges. He stressed that police view such acts seriously and will take firm action, while reminding the public to respect the Jalur Gemilang as a symbol of national sovereignty. The footage is believed to have been recorded in Kepala Batas and prompted a report at the Kepala Batas police station at about 12.30pm on Aug 9. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 118,000 speeding violations in first half of 2025; situation shows no signs of improvement: TP Singapore Four men arrested in Bukit Timah believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates Singapore Criminal trial of Hyflux founder Olivia Lum and five others starts Aug 11 Singapore Why some teens cook despite Singapore's da bao culture Tech Former data analyst creates AI tutor that assesses students based on Singapore schools' criteria Singapore Minor Issues: Parents, is it worth dying for a pay cheque? Opinion I used to be impatient. Then I became a granddad Life 'Best birthday gift': Actress Michelle Chia marries 41-year-old boyfriend before 50th birthday The 21-second video shows a man waving the Jalur Gemilang mounted upside down on a metal pole while another man films the act. This is not the first time this year controversy has surrounded the national flag. A primary school in Port Dickson apologised earlier in August after mistakenly hanging it upside down ahead of celebrating Malaysia's independence. In April, Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily also had to apologise for publishing an illustration of the flag without a crescent moon. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK