Latest news with #BukitTimah
CNA
26-05-2025
- CNA
Jail for 3 men who worked in 'clubhouse' at rented Good Class Bungalow along Victoria Park Road
SINGAPORE: Three men conspired with others to run a rented Good Class Bungalow (GCB) as a clubhouse along Victoria Park Road in Bukit Timah. Cambodian Su Wenhui, 44, Chinese national Su Zhentan, 40, and Singaporean Wu Pengfei, 35, each took up roles in the makeshift-clubhouse operation, which was against rules that the GCB be only used as a private residence. The three conspired with property agent Koh Hui Ming and Wu Guojing, a 33-year-old Cambodian, to run the scheme. The latter left Singapore in July 2023 and is at large. Koh, a Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident, has been charged and her case is pending before the courts. Wenhui was given four months' jail, while Pengfei and Zhentan received two months' jail each on Monday (May 26), after each pleaded guilty to their respective charges. Wenhui pleaded guilty to one count of cheating and one count of moving more than S$20,000 (US$15,600) out of Singapore without accounting for it to an authorised officer. One count of working at the clubhouse without a valid work pass was taken into consideration for his sentencing. At the time of the offences, Wenhui had an employment pass registered under SG Eastcode, of which Guojing was the director and shareholder. However, Wenhui did not do any work for SG Eastcode. Pengfei and Zhentan each pleaded guilty to one count of cheating. Zhentan also had an additional charge of working without a valid work permit considered for his sentencing. At the material time, Zhentan had a work permit registered to Wingo Ecommerce, but he never worked for it. ACCUSED PERSONS' ROLES Guojing was the overall operator and financier of the "clubhouse", which was for his friends and business associates. Those who stayed there could gamble and use its facilities, including a swimming pool and pool table. Guojing would settle the salaries of "staff" at the clubhouse, its operation costs and its monthly rental of S$58,000. The source of his wealth is unknown, according to court documents. Wenhui, Guojing's trusted associate, was the clubhouse manager who oversaw its daily operations. In exchange, Guojing gave him money and paid his monthly rental of S$30,000 for a property located along Watten Estate Road, the purchase of cars and other expenses. Zhentan was the chef and treasurer who worked exclusively at the illegal clubhouse, earning 18,000 yuan (US$2,500) a month. As treasurer, he would keep track of expenditures and request for cash when needed. A sum of between S$50,000 and S$100,000 would be handed to Zhentan every five to ten days. While he suspected the money was from illegal sources, Zhentan never questioned its source. Pengfei was one of the four drivers who would chauffer guests, earning S$5,500 a month. He too, did not question the source of the funds for the clubhouse. Apart from these men, two coaches provided pool and golf lessons, two masseurs provided massage services and two foreign domestic helpers also worked at the GCB. HOW THE CLUBHOUSE CAME ABOUT Around February 2023, Guojing and Wenhui engaged Koh as their property agent to rent a residence to use as a clubhouse. The duo eventually rented another unit at Garlick Avenue for S$125,000 a month. Pengfei and Zhentan were hired to work at this property in July 2023. In February 2024, Guojing decided to move the clubhouse operations to a place with a cheaper rent and Koh was called on to source for a suitable place. She found the Victoria Park Road property, which was registered under Victoria Park Trust and up for rent. Wenhui viewed the property and directed that it be rented under Pengfei's name, under the pretext that Pengfei wanted his family to reside in it. As Pengfei was Singaporean, he would be less likely to arouse suspicion, Wenhui thought. Koh initially faced difficult queries from one of the two property agents managing the rental listing for the GCB, including queries on Pengfei's background and occupation. Koh then decided to approached the second property agent instead. She lied that Pengfei was a business owner of a food and beverage company and that he would reside there with his wife and child. Koh made a profit of S$26,000 in commission from the brokering the rental agreement, which she used to pay a deposit for a condominium unit. INVESTIGATIONS On Aug 17, 2023, Wenhui was stopped for checks by police at Changi Airport, when he arrived in Singapore and was scheduled to fly to Manila. A search revealed that he had the equivalent of S$22,008.55 in cash which he did not declare in accordance with the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. Court documents did not shed light on how the clubhouse operations unravelled, but at about 1.20am on May 18, 2024, a police raid was conducted at the Victoria Park Road property.
Independent Singapore
21-05-2025
- Independent Singapore
'They seemed to be dizzy and couldn't even speak clearly' — Private-hire driver alerts police after teens openly vape in his car
Photo: YouTube screengrab / vape SINGAPORE: A 51-year-old private-hire driver alerted the police after two teenage passengers began openly vaping in his vehicle. The driver, Mr Guo, shared his account with Shin Min Daily News, explaining that he picked up the two youths around 9 a.m. on May 18. Their destination was a public housing flat in Choa Chu Kang. 'After they got into the car, they started smoking e-cigarettes,' said Mr Guo. 'I felt something was wrong at the time.' Concerned by the situation, Mr Guo admitted to listening in on their conversation, during which he overheard them discussing plans to pick up Kpods—a type of vape liquid that is often illicitly laced with etomidate, a sedative drug typically used in non-surgical medical procedures. The misuse of Kpods has become an increasing concern in Singapore, particularly among youths. 'This made me very worried,' he told the Chinese daily, 'They seemed to be dizzy from smoking the e-cigarettes and couldn't even speak clearly, so I thought I should report the situation to the authorities.' Initially planning to drive straight to a police station, Mr Guo instead spotted Traffic Police officers on the Bukit Timah Expressway and decided to approach them directly. 'I got out of the car and told the police what had happened,' he recalled, 'Other police officers and ambulances arrived at the scene.' 'I've seen a lot of reports about young people smoking e-cigarettes recently, which I find very worrying,' he added, 'I hope the authorities can enforce the law more strictly to prevent similar incidents from happening.' Under Singapore law, the possession, purchase, and use of e-cigarettes and related vaping products is illegal. Investigations are ongoing.
CNA
20-05-2025
- CNA
Man fined S$7,000 for crashing model aircraft into MGS tennis court
SINGAPORE: A man who crashed a model aircraft into a tennis court at Methodist Girls' School (MGS) was fined S$7,000 (US$5,400) on Tuesday (May 20). Ng Tchi Mun, 68, had pleaded guilty to operating an unmanned aircraft in a manner likely to endanger property, an offence under the Air Navigation Act. The offence carries a maximum fine of S$100,000 or up to five years' jail, or both. On Aug 20, 2023, Ng was operating an unmanned aircraft, a Hanger 9 Pulse 125 remote-controlled plane, in an open field along Old Holland Road. He was with a friend who was also flying his own aircraft. He was nearly 250m away from the sports complex of MGS. At 10.15am, Ng realised that the wind was picking up strength, prompting him to steer the aircraft back towards the open field. He estimated that the aircraft was about 50m away from the school's sports complex when he attempted to fly it back to him. Ultimately, the strong wind carried the aircraft towards MGS, which is located in Bukit Timah. Ng eventually lost control of the aircraft and lost sight of it. The aircraft crashed into an open-air tennis court at MGS where Mr Oh Boon Kwee, a tennis coach who taught private tennis classes at the school at the time of the offence, was walking. He was scheduled to conduct a private tennis class at 12pm at the tennis courts located on the third floor of the school's sports complex. The aircraft landed 4m away from Oh and was shattered upon impact. The tennis court was scratched, with parts of the surface cratered in. Oh was shocked when the aircraft crashed into the tennis court. He began to shake in fear at the thought that he could have been harmed. Once he composed himself, Oh called the facilities manager at MGS to report the incident before contacting the police. Ng then arrived at the tennis court to identify himself as the owner of the aircraft. When presented with the repair quotation of S$410.40 from MGS' contractor, he agreed to pay. On Dec 1, 2023, MGS began repairs as part of its facilities refurbishment plan. On Jan 1, 2024, Ng made a payment of S$410.40 to the contractor, which was returned to him on Jan 9, 2025. Investigations showed that Ng knew he was turning the aircraft at too close a distance from MGS for it to be safe. 'I had a discussion with my hobby group friends. We all agreed that we were turning our RC (radio-controlled) planes too close from MGS,' he said. 'Hence, we marked out that before landing, we should turn our RC planes at an area which is at least 150m away from the school. So if there is any loss of control or mishap, the plane will at least crash onto the field or the trees and not into the school.' The prosecution sought a fine between S$10,000 and S$15,000, highlighting the damage inflicted on the tennis court and the potential risks posed by the crash. The aircraft, weighing 3.7kg, could have caused serious harm, especially given the proximity of residential homes. According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Ariel Tan, Ng operated the aircraft in a manner that he should have reasonably known could jeopardise the safety and property of others. By flying it near MGS and losing control, he caused it to crash into the tennis court situated at MGS. Ng has until May 26 to pay the fine.
CNA
14-05-2025
- CNA
Bukit Timah residents step up security after recent housebreaking incidents
Residents in Bukit Timah neighborhoods are stepping up security after recent housebreaking incidents. Advisories on precautions to take have been distributed to houses, while those without CCTV-enabled burglar alarms have been advised to install them. Three foreigners were charged and brought to the alleged crime scene to assist with investigations. Aslam Shah finds out more.
CNA
14-05-2025
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Talkback - Are we inviting thieves by leaving the door open: home security?
CNA938 Rewind Three people were recently charged with breaking into a home in Bukit Timah and making away with $684,800 in cash and other items. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak to Derek Peh, Sales Manager of I-Secure Solution, on how homeowners can better protect their homes.
