Latest news with #PHOTOS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
14-year-old among 139 nabbed in anti-drug raid, more than $600k worth of drugs seized
Over $626,700 worth of drugs were seized. PHOTOS: CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU 14-year-old among 139 nabbed in anti-drug raid, more than $600k worth of drugs seized SINGAPORE - A 14-year-old student was among 139 people arrested in an anti-drug blitz where drugs worth over $626,700 in total were seized. In a statement on May 31 , the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the island-wide operation took place from May 18 to May 30 , and covered areas including Ang Mo Kio, Boon Keng, Bukit Merah, Jurong, and Sengkang. A total of about 3,588g of heroin , 2,744g of cannabis , 1,303g of Ice , 155g of ketamine , 54g of Ecstasy , 26g of cocaine , and 213 Erimin-5 tablets were seized, CNB said. Another 49 vape devices suspected to contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and 22 LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) stamps were also seized. The seized drugs were estimated to be able to feed the addiction of 2,840 abusers for a week. On the morning of May 23 , five foreign men , aged between 23 and 34 , were arrested in the vicinity of Tuas South Avenue for suspected drug offences . One of them, a 23 -year-old, was caught by CNB officers while discarding substances believed to be drugs, which included about 2g of cannabis. He was then arrested. Another 24 -year-old man was found with a small amount of Ice in his possession. A total of about 27g of cannabis was later found in a room in a residential lodging nearby. A 32-year-old lodger was arrested for possession of a controlled drug. In the afternoon of May 28 , CNB officers raided a hotel room near Geylang Lorong 10. A 46 -year-old man was arrested for suspected drug trafficking offences. A search of the room found about 2,818g of heroin , 565g of Ice , 20g of cannabis , 24g of ketamine , four Erimin-5 tablets and $541.61 in cash , CNB said. A day later, a 29-year-old Singaporean man was arrested at the carpark of a condominium near Tampines Street 86 . He was under suspicion of drug trafficking offences. He was escorted to his hideout in the condominium where about 2,104g of cannabis, 165g of Ice, 103g of ketamine, 37g of Ecstasy, 26g of cocaine, 22 LSD stamps, 10 Erimin-5 tablets and 49 vape devices suspected to contain THC were seized. Investigations into all arrested suspects are ongoing. Anyone found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of diamorphine or 'pure heroin', or 250g of methamphetamine, or more than 500g of cannabis, may face mandatory death penalty. According to CNB's annual statistics report on Feb 12 , in 2024, there were 126 new drug abusers under the age of 20 arrested, with the youngest aged 13. This was 30 per cent more than the 97 nabbed in 2023 . New abusers totalled 966 in 2024 , more than the 952 arrested in 2023 . However, the number of repeat offenders arrested was 2,153 in 2024 , down from 2,170 the previous year . Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Coral spawning muted in Singapore after 2024 mass bleaching event
Coral spawning in mid-April 2025 off Pulau Satumu. The yearly event is an underwater show where the coral reefs appear to 'snow', with pink bundles of coral eggs and sperm released. PHOTOS: JEROME YONG SINGAPORE - Singapore's coral reefs had a muted reproductive season in 2025, not because of any oil spill that occurred in the last year, but most likely because of mass coral bleaching in 2024, one of the hottest years on record. Coral spawning was observed in April at Pulau Satumu – where Raffles Lighthouse is located – but the National Parks Board (NParks) and scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) said it was more muted than in previous years. Mass spawning events occur once a year, a spectacular underwater show in which the coral reefs appear to 'snow', as they release bundles of coral eggs and sperm. The phenomenon usually happens a few nights after the full moon following the spring equinox. The eggs and sperm then join to form larvae, which are carried by the water until some find a hard surface on which to latch on and grow. The 2025 spawning event occurred between April 15 and 19. Corals that had recovered from the bleaching in 2024 may not have had enough energy to reproduce this time, said NParks and NUS in a joint response to The Straits Times. NParks conducts annual coral spawning surveys, along with researchers from the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and St John's Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML). While scientists are still analysing how much more subdued this reproductive event is compared with previous years, the scale of the event was similar to the spawning in 2017, which occurred months after the 2016 mass bleaching event. NParks and NUS said it was unlikely that a series of oil spills and leaks since June 2024 had contributed to the reduced spawning. None of the spills reached Pulau Satumu, which has one of the highest coral cover in all of Singapore's reefs, said l ocal marine biologists. More frequent coral bleaching is a symptom of climate change leading to warming oceans. Higher sea temperatures stress coral reefs, forcing them to expel the algae that give them their vibrant colours. This causes corals to turn a ghostly white. Past mass bleaching events, including in 2024 and 2016, have also coincided with the El Nino climate phenomenon, which causes sea surface temperatures to rise and elevate global temperatures. Divers inspecting corals impacted by a bleaching event on the Ningaloo Reef off Australia's west coast. PHOTO: AFP From January 2023 to March 2025, bleaching-level heat stress impacted 84 per cent of the world's reefs, said the International Coral Reef Initiative in April, adding that this global event has been the most intense on record. This was the fourth global bleaching event, with previous ones occurring in 1998, 2010 and 2016. In those years, the Republic's reefs were also affected. Singapore's corals, which were gripped by a mass bleaching event between May and October 2024, have mostly recovered, with an estimated 5 per cent of corals left dead after the incident, The Straits Times reported in April. The extent of bleaching and mortalities are observed through reef surveys by scientists, commonly done in the Southern Islands. The peak of this bleaching event was in July, with about 44 per cent of coral colonies surveyed reported to have been bleached. Corals in Pulau Hantu showed signs of bleaching on Oct 9, 2024. ST PHOTO: AUDREY TAN By December 2024, the level of bleaching in Singapore's waters had reduced to 10 to 15 per cent said Dr Karenne Tun, group director of NParks' National Biodiversity Centre. Bleached corals off Kusu Island, taken in early June 2024. PHOTO: LIONEL NG One group of corals that had recovered from bleaching in 2024, but still had much subdued spawning, was the Platygyra, a genus of stony corals such as brain corals. 'This ( group ) has shown consistent and robust spawning in previous years with no thermal stress events, but only a handful of individuals was observed to spawn in 2025 over the four nights,' said Dr Tun. Most of Singapore's remaining, intact coral reefs are found in the Southern Islands, which includes Pulau Satumu. Reefs act as an underwater rainforest, sustaining life for fishes, sea sponges, rare seahorses, and other marine life. Pink globes of egg and sperm attached to a coral colony. PHOTO: JONAS KHAW SJINML research fellow Lionel Ng noted that muted spawning after mass bleaching events could become an 'increasingly frequent reality with climate change'. 'This poses challenges to how reefs may be replenished with new genetic material and continue to provide key ecological functions,' added Dr Ng, who is also from the NUS TMSI . Subdued spawning will have implications for habitat restoration efforts because it reduces the chances of successful fertilisation and establishment of new coral colonies. Marine biologists will have to devise new strategies and continue to innovate to ensure the survival of this marine habitat, he noted. It may be worth assessing if other marine life dwelling at the bottom of the sea can also be tapped to help with the rehabilitation of degraded reefs, added Dr Ng. Not all is lost, however. History has shown that spawning can improve a few years after a mass bleaching event. Dr Tun said while spawning was muted in 2017, it improved significantly in 2018 and 2019. 'Thus, we are hopeful that the corals will recover to full fecundity within the next two years, if our reefs are not subjected to any further thermal or other stressors,' she added. Shabana Begum is a correspondent, with a focus on environment and science, at The Straits Times. More on this Topic Microplastics found in marine animals in S'pore's coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds: Study Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Two construction firms fined $4.6m for rigging tender bids to upgrade community clubs
Trust-Build Engineering and Construction (left) and Hunan Fengtian Construction Group Co had rigged bids for three tenders in 2022 for upgrading works in the Bukit Batok, Cheng San and Eunos Community Clubs. ST PHOTOS: GIN TAY SINGAPORE – Two construction firms have been fined a total of $4.6 million by the competition watchdog for rigging tender bids called by the People's Association (PA). The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) said on May 23 that Trust-Build Engineering and Construction and Hunan Fengtian Construction Group Co had rigged bids for three tenders in 2022 for upgrading works in the Bukit Batok, Cheng San and Eunos Community Clubs. The tenders had a total value of around $56 million. They were for major upgrading works that included repair works, piling and scaffolding. CCCS' investigations, which began in July 2023, found that both companies colluded on their bid prices and tender submissions, giving one of them – Trust-Build – a better chance of winning the project. Hunan Fengtian had prepared Trust-Build's tender submissions and proposed their bid prices for each of PA's tenders, CCCS said. Trust-Build's bid prices were lower than Hunan Fengtian's to make their bids appear more attractive. PA had noticed that similar words, diagrams and photos were used in the tender submissions from the two companies before the tenders were awarded, and reported the matter to CCCS. 'CCCS found that the bid-rigging conduct eliminated the competitive pressure between the parties to submit their best offers to PA, even though none of the PA tenders were awarded to either of the parties,' said the competition watchdog. 'Such bid-rigging conduct has the potential to give the false impression that the bids received from the parties were genuine and competitive.' At the time, the two firms were able to undertake high-value construction contracts – up to $50 million for Hunan Fengtian and $105 million for Trust-Build. On May 23, Trust-Build was fined $4.29 million, while Hunan Fengtian was fined $349,000. In a media briefing on May 23, Mr Caleb Tan, deputy director of legal and enforcement at CCCS, explained that the difference in fines for the two firms was because the penalties took into account the turnover of the company in the year the infringement took place as well as the year the infringement decision was issued. 'The absolute figure doesn't indicate the relative seriousness or culpability of the parties,' he said. An Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority search showed that Trust-Build is a local company, while Hunan Fengtian is a Chinese firm registered in Singapore. Mr Tan, who was the team lead for the investigation, said that the directors of the firms had met at a conference and remained in touch. Hunan Fengtian had intended to wind down their business in Singapore, and its general manager, Mr Xing Hongyun, agreed to help Trust-Build in this scheme as a means to get future business for his own company, he said. The director of Trust-Build, Mr Wang Jian Jun, also wanted to learn from Hunan Fengtian's experience in bidding for public tenders, added Mr Tan. Both men are Singapore citizens. WhatsApp messages between Mr Xing and Mr Wang that were obtained by CCCS showed them discussing the bid prices they would submit. In one instance in October 2022, Mr Wang asked what if they were awarded two tenders. In response, Mr Xing said: 'PA can award three projects, what do you worry? You and me have two companies, can do two projects same time.' In October 2024, both companies were issued legal notices, known as proposed infringement decisions, by the competition watchdog. They were able to make individual representations or provide other information in support of their case. CCCS said it has received written representations from each firm and took it into consideration in deciding to issue the infringement decision. Bukit Batok Community Club's tender was eventually awarded at $17.59 million, while Cheng San's was awarded at $21 million, CCCS had said in October. The tender for Eunos Community Club was discontinued for reasons unrelated to this case. The club, which had been closed since August 2022, is slated to open by the end of 2025. CCCS chief executive Alvin Koh said it will continue to take a more active enforcement stance, and take decisive and firm action against businesses which are found to have engaged in anti-competitive conduct. 'In the context of public procurement where public funds are used, taxpayers are the ones who ultimately pay the price of such infringing conduct,' he said. Mr Koh added that CCCS offers a leniency programme for businesses currently involved in anti-competitive agreements. If these businesses come forward with information about such agreements, they could receive a full waiver or substantial reduction in financial penalties. Isabelle Liew is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers housing issues in Singapore, with a focus on public housing. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Straits Times
4 men accused of entering S'pore via boat allegedly had 2,700 packs of contraband cigarettes
A total of 2,700 packets of assorted duty-unpaid cigarettes, and one fibreglass craft, were seized in the operation. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE 4 men accused of entering S'pore via boat allegedly had 2,700 packs of contraband cigarettes SINGAPORE - Four Indonesian men accused of entering Singapore's waters without any travel documents allegedly had 2,700 packets of contraband cigarettes in their possession. On May 19, Ripan, 28; Mahyudin, 32, Asmin Alexander, 50 and Ridwan Akarin, 50, were each charged with one count of entering Singapore without valid passes. Both Ripan and Mahyudin go by only one name. Police and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a joint statement on May 18 that the four men were said to be in a small craft in the sea near Pulau Tekong when the Police Coast Guard (PCG) detected them shortly before 1.30am on May 17. Officers from the PCG, Gurkha Contingent, the Special Operations Command and the K-9 Unit then responded to the incident and arrested the four unarmed Indonesians. A police spokesperson added: 'The men were detained outside the protected areas of Pulau Tekong. They were allegedly found without any travel documents and in possession of uncustomed goods. 'A total of 2,700 packets of assorted duty-unpaid cigarettes, and one fibreglass craft, which was fitted with one outboard motor, were seized in the operation.' The fibreglass craft, which was fitted with one outboard motor, that was seized in the operation. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE The men's cases will be mentioned again in court on May 26 Offenders convicted of entering Singapore illegally can be jailed for up to six months and receive at least three strokes of the cane. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
11-05-2025
- The Star
Three foreign nationals arrested in Singapore within 27 hours after spate of housebreakings in Bukit Timah
A car, a circular power saw, an assortment of jewellery, as well as cash in various currencies totalling more than $18,000, were recovered from the three men. -- ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Three men, aged between 48 and 60, were arrested by the police on Sunday (May 11) for their suspected involvement in three cases of housebreaking and theft. The three foreign nationals were apprehended within 27 hours of the first case bring reported and will be charged in court on Monday (May 12) for housebreaking and theft with common intention. In a statement on May 11, the police said they were alerted on May 9 and 10 to three cases of housebreaking at residential units in Cluny Park, Dunearn Close and Eng Neo Avenue in the Bukit Timah area. Through extensive ground inquiries and with the aid of footage from CCTV and police cameras, officers from Tanglin Police Division, Police Operations Command Centre, Police Intelligence Department, Gurkha Contingent, Special Operations Command and the Home Team Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command were able to establish the identities of the suspects. The trio – a Spanish/Colombian national, 60, with dual citizenship; a 51-year-old Mexican and a 48-year Mexican/Colombian national with dual citizenship – had each entered Singapore on a social visit pass within the past fortnight. They were arrested on May 11. A car, a circular power saw, an assortment of jewellery, as well as cash in various currencies totalling more than $18,000, were recovered from the three men. The police said at a news conference that two members of the public had provided key witness accounts that assisted in the swift arrest of the suspects. The pair were presented with certificates of appreciation on May 11 in recognition of their community partnership with the police. Despite a falling number of housebreaking cases here, the police said Singapore remains a target by transnational criminals and urged the public to stay vigilant. All residents can take crime prevention measures to secure their homes, especially if they will be away for an extended period, such as during school holidays, said the authorities. These steps include: Ensuring the home's perimeter is well-lit and secured with sturdy fencing, and to trim any overgrown vegetation that may block CCTV coverage. Installing sturdy locks on all windows and doors, and to consider reinforcing them with grilles. Always lock windows and doors when leaving the house or at night. Installing a burglar alarm system that is connected to a monitoring system, so that the owner or neighbours can be alerted in case of a breach. Installing CCTV cameras, as high-resolution images captured by such cameras have proven useful in solving such cases. Visible cameras and signages can also act as a deterrent to potential burglars. Not keeping large amounts of cash at home, and to keep valuables in a secure and discreet location, such as a safe that is securely bolted to permanent structures. Joining the Community Watch Scheme – Neighbours on Watch to receive regular alerts and advisories on the crime concerns in one's neighbourhood. The public can also play an active role in preventing and deterring crime in their neighbourhood by volunteering with the police's Citizens on Patrol scheme. 'The public should continue to adopt crime prevention measures, be vigilant and report cases to the police in a timely manner,' the police said. 'The police will spare no effort to apprehend persons who enter Singapore to commit crime, and will deal sternly with them in accordance with the law.' - The Straits Timnes/ANN
