20 persons arrested in multi-agency anti-crime blitz in Geylang and Joo Chiat, Singapore News
Eight men and 12 women, aged between 24 and 55, were arrested for various offences during a multi-agency enforcement operation in Geylang on Friday (June 27).
The offences include drink driving, driving without a valid licence and insurance, non-maintenance of fire safety provisions, providing massage services without a valid licence, suspected drug-related offences, and working without a valid work permit.
Members of the media, including AsiaOne, were invited to observe the enforcement operation, led by Bedok Police Division.
The enforcement operation, involving officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, is part of their ongoing efforts to clamp down on illicit activities and regulatory offences in the area, said the police in a statement on Wednesday (July 2).
Our first stop was a hair salon along Geylang Road which actively promotes its hair washing services on social media.
In some of these videos seen by AsiaOne, massage services were clearly mentioned.
Under the Massage Establishments Act, hair salons are not classified as massage establishments and are not allowed to provide massage services unless they are specifically licensed to do so.
The police also conducted checks on another two hair salons in the area which are licensed to provide massage services, but were found doing so beyond the stipulated closing time of 10.30pm.
All three salons are being investigated under the Act. The offence of providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a licence carries a fine not exceeding $10,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.
About 200m down the road, officers conducted enforcement checks on a KTV outlet.
There, police and ICA officers found 10 female Chinese nationals, estimated to be in their 30s to 50s, working without a valid permit. They were later arrested and led to a waiting police bus.
Two women were also arrested for the same reason at two other public entertainment outlets in nearby Joo Chiat. The offence of working without a valid work pass carries a fine not exceeding $20,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.
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Around the corner at Guillemard Road, traffic police officers conducted ring-fencing operation in support of the ongoing multi-agency operation.
These checks were conducted on drivers in Geylang for traffic-related offences.
A total of seven motorists, aged between 24 and 55, were arrested for drink-driving. Among those arrested for drink-driving was a 26-year-old man who was found to be driving without a valid licence and insurance.
The media also witnessed one male motorcyclist being detained just before the roadblock.
A police K-9 Springer Spaniel and its handler were seen searching a stretch of pavement adjacent to the road as traffic police officers interviewed the man. The dog was later led to search the motorcycle.
The 48-year-old man was subsequently arrested for possession of contraband cigarettes, drugs and e-vaporisers, and is being investigated by the Singapore Customs, CNB and the Health Sciences Authority.
Commanding Officer of Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre Superintendent Muhammad Firdaus bin Abdul Raub said during the operation that the police will deal sternly with drink-driving and unlawful activities."This (the operation) is part of our continuous efforts to clamp down on vice and drug-related activities in Geylang and demonstrates the agencies' commitment to upholding public safety and compliance with regulations," he said.
On the police's e-services portal, Geylang is listed as one of nine locations where a new public entertainment licence is unlikely to be granted to mitigate law and order concerns and manage the number of such establishments.
Six other persons are assisting with investigations relating to regulatory breaches of a public entertainment license.
Licensees who breach the public entertainment license may have their licenses suspended or cancelled, and may also be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
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editor@asiaone.com
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