The Singapore Force (SPF) announced on Wednesday (14 September) that it had arrested four men, aged between 23 and 26, in connection to a case of mischief by a fire involving the use of ‘Molotov cocktails’.
The Police wrote on its Facebook page that it received a call requesting for assistance at an entertainment outlet at St James Power Station on 13 September 2016 at about 2.25 am.
Officers from Clementi Division immediately responded to the scene where they discovered fragments of broken beer bottles and soot near the entrance of the said entertainment outlet.
The investigations revealed that four bottles filled with petrol were believed to have been lit and thrown by three unknown men. The three of them were spotted to have fled the scene immediately after the incident. Fortunately, nobody was injured.
SPF said that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Police Intelligence Department (PID) immediately coordinated their ground actions with the officers from Clementi Division, and commenced an intensive investigation and intelligence probes to pursue all available leads.
As the result of the investigation, the identity of the first suspect was established and he was arrested within 20 hours of the report lodged. The identities of the other accomplices were subsequently established and they were arrested in separate operations mounted on 13 and 14 September 2016.
The Police stated that the preliminary investigations revealed that the incident was believed to have been an act of revenge arising from a previous dispute between one of the suspects and the staff of one of the entertainment outlets at St James Power Station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations & Intelligence) concurrent Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Tan Chye Hee, commended all the officers involved for their perseverance and hard work which resulted in the swift arrest of the suspects.
He added, “The use of ‘Molotov cocktails’ in Singapore is rare but is a very severe offense which the Police have zero tolerance for. Such brazen acts and blatant disregard for the law can cause widespread damage to property and loss of lives. The Police will not condone such acts and will see to it that those who perpetuate violence will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.”
All four suspects will be charged in Court on 15 September 2016 with the offense of Mischief by Fire with Common Intention under Section 435 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code which is punishable on conviction with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Police are also looking for 26-year-old Tay Kai Long, Daryl, (pictured) to assist with investigations into this case. Anyone with information on Tay Kai Long, Daryl can come forward and contact the Police at 1800-255-0000. You can also submit the information online at http://www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
