Police Called in for a Fake Bomb in AMK That’s Used for a Drill

Bombs are serious business.

When a security guard reported to work in the morning and saw a “bomb” outside a building’s security post, he was alarmed and informed the relevant authorities.

However, the “bomb” was a fake one used for a security company’s drill.

Security Guard Finds “Bomb” Outside Security Post

The incident occurred on 5 January 2024 at Industrial Building 32 at Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2.

A security officer was reporting to work when he found a “bomb” outside the security post.

Shocked, he informed the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

The police told The Straits Times that they were alerted to the incident at around 8:20 am.

The “bomb” in question was made with cylinder-shaped objects and sealed with black tape, as seen in photos taken by Shin Min Daily News reporters.

Upon seeing that the areas and streets around the building had been cordoned off, members of the public informed Shin Min Daily News of the incident.

“Bomb” Turned Out to be Dummy Used for Drill

When Shin Min Daily News reporters visited the scene, the building manager informed them that there was no bomb.

Apparently, a drill conducted by a security company happened in the early morning.

As part of the drill, a person disguised as a “suspicious-looking person” had placed a paper bag with the fake bomb on a motorcycle parked two metres away from the security post.

The person reportedly knocked on the security post’s window to make the people inside aware of the “bomb”.

However, the person claimed that he saw nobody in the security post.

After the drill, a participant failed to put the bag containing the fake bomb back into the security room.

A security guard who reported for work later saw the fake bomb and called the police.

The police said, “Poor management of the exercise resulted in the activation of actual police resources to the scene and more than 100 people were inconvenienced as they were prevented from entering the premises due to the ongoing checks.”

Shin Min Daily News reported that the building manager is considering suing the security company for the alarm and inconvenience caused. 

The incident is currently being investigated under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Bomb Threats are Taken Seriously in Singapore

If you didn’t already know, bomb threats are taken very seriously in Singapore.

In 2017, security personnel at Singapore Indoor Stadium alerted the police to a man who claimed he had a bomb with him.

At the time of the threat, an event was in progress at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The police responded promptly and arrested the man.

However, it was discovered that the man had no intention or means to carry out the threat.

In a statement regarding the incident, the police said they “treat all security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against anyone who causes public harm”.

More recently, in August 2023, the police were alerted to alleged bomb threats at 18 locations around Singapore.

One such location included the Environment Building along 40 Scotts Road.

Fortunately, upon investigation, no suspicious items were found.

The police noted that a similar incident of bomb threat hoaxes occurred in South Korea just a few weeks before.

Looking Out for Suspicious Items

Referencing the bomb threat incident in August 2023, the police said that some indicative factors that an item could potentially be dangerous would be the presence of wires.

They added, “Security officers and APOs have received training on how to assess whether suspicious items are of concern and how to handle such situations appropriately.”

The police also advised the public to stay vigilant.

Furthermore, people should report suspicious individuals or items.

Such instances include people in unusual attire or acting suspiciously.

Some tell-tale signs that an item is suspicious are when it has stains, wires, or emits a strange smell.