Police Raided Geylang & Arrested 89 People, Including a 94-YO Woman & 16-YO Teen

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has always liked to say this:

“Low crime doesn’t mean no crime”

In a country as safe as Singapore, there are still areas in which crimes, like murders, illegal gambling houses and more still happen.

Shortly after Geylang found itself in the spotlight last week, it’s now back again on the headlines, this time for something bad.

Police Raided Geylang & Arrested 89 People, Including a 94-YO Woman & 16-YO Teen

On 6 December 2020, SPF revealed in a statement that they’ve arrested 89 people in an operation conducted at Geylang.

The number consists of 62 men and 27 women, one of whom is a 16-year-old girl.

The oldest person in the group is a 94-year-old woman who is being investigated for offences under the Common Gaming Houses Act.

As you can guess, the gaming house act is related to illegal gambling.

Meanwhile, the 16-year-old teen is investigated for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

A Major Operation

The operation lasted for six days from Tuesday to Sunday and was led by officers from Bedok Police Division.

Agencies involved in the operation include:

• Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB)
• Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
• Health Sciences Authority (HSA)
• Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
• Land Transport Authority (LTA)
• Singapore Customs
• Singapore Food Agency

Other than the streets, the officers also combed through the area’s businesses, including massage and entertainment centres.

During the raids, 20 men between the ages of 23 and 55 were arrested for selling illicit medication, drug-related offences and being a member of a secret society.

Four had cough syrups, sexual enhancement products from various brands and other pills worth $13,800 seized during the raid and are being investigated under the Health Products Act.

27 were arrested for illegal-gambling-related activities; 12 men and 15 women. More than $69,500 worth of cash and gambling-related materials were confiscated.

A 42-year-old man was arrested and had five cartons and eight packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes confiscated from him.

It was found that the amount of tax he’s evaded comes up to $540.

Another five people, four men and one woman, were caught for illegally selling secondhand goods without a license.

Breaching Covid-19 Measures

Other than illegal gambling and peddling of illicit medication, the police officers also rounded up 24 men and 10 women at public entertainment outlets for various offences, including:

• breaching public entertainment and liquor license conditions
• failing to enforce Covid-19 safe management measures during operations
• failure to keep safe distancing

Five women and a man, including the 16-year-old teen, are being investigated for illegal employment and a 40-year-old woman working at a massage parlour was arrested for an offence under the Woman’s Charter.

It was also found that the massage parlour was operating without a valid license.

The SPF also expressed their gratitude to the various enforcement agencies which joined forces with them for this raid, saying that it’ll “go a long way in keeping Geylang safe and orderly”.

The operation, according to the statement, is an effort to clamp down on crime in Geylang.

Speaking of Geylang, this isn’t the first time the infamous area got onto the news; here’s the latest update from Geylang Lorong 3 where 5 households still haven’t been able to get replacement homes.

Featured Image: ZDL / Shutterstock.com