Armed Certis cop arrested in Singapore’s Victoria Street; officer did not return gun and 10 bullets after duty

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A manhunt involving more than 100 police officers was launched on Friday evening, after a Certis auxiliary police officer did not return his revolver and 10 bullets after his shift.

At a media briefing onFriday ( May 10), the police said the Singaporean man, 27, was arrested within 2½ hours after a report was lodged at 9.50pm on May 9, following the completion of his shift at Changi Airport.

Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Special Operations Command were among the units activated.

The man, who holds the rank of sergeant, began his shift at 7.45am on May 9 and ended at 7.45pm the same day.

He was supposed to return his equipment by 8.30pm but failed to do so, causing the armoury system to issue an alert at around 8.35pm.

Closed-circuit television footage showed him leaving the airport in civilian clothes before the police arrived.

He had been carrying a fully loaded Taurus revolver which had five bullets, a speed loader with another five bullets, and a baton in a pouch.

He was spotted walking around aimlessly past midnight in a shopping mall in Victoria Street when he was arrested.

The police said he did not put up a struggle and did not try to reach for the gun, which remained in the pouch.

Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Zhang Weihan said: “The man involved in the unlawful carrying of a firearm has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and abused the firearms entrusted to him for his duties.

“Police officers had worked tirelessly to secure his swift arrest and ensured that public safety was maintained.”

The man will be charged on May 11 with the offence of unlawful carrying of a firearm. If found guilty, he can be jailed for up to 14 years and caned.

Police said they intend to send the suspect for psychiatric assessment.

It is not known why the man did not return his weapon, or what he was planning to do with it.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesman for Certis said the officer has been suspended, and it will cooperate with investigations.

He said: “Certis has put in place stringent systems and processes to detect and deal with such incidents in a timely manner, including a warning system that triggers an alert when a firearm is not returned post-duty.

“The safety of the public is our utmost priority. Certis has zero tolerance for misuse of firearms and we expect full compliance from our officers to adhere to our strict protocol on weapons and controlled equipment.”

PAST GUN CRIMES

April 12, 2021

An off-duty Aetos officer, who was heavily in debt, robbed a moneylending company in Jurong of more than $24,000 in cash while armed with a revolver.

Mahadi Muhamad Mukhtar, now 41, was not in uniform but had his service revolver loaded with five rounds in the pocket of his trousers.

He had handed a note to the employees of the shop, who gave him the money in a bag before he fled. He was arrested within five hours of the robbery.

After killing him, Tan took around $170,000 in cash and property, including jewellery, four Rolex watches and stacks of foreign currencies, before fleeing Singapore with an accomplice.

He was arrested by Malaysian police in Kuala Lumpur 10 days later, and sent back to Singapore on March 1 that year.

Following a 10-day trial, he was convicted of firing a pistol and sentenced to death on May 22, 2007. He was hanged at Changi Prison on Jan 9, 2009.

Feb 7, 2006

Donning a cap and wig, and wearing a stocking over his head, Chan Bing Chaw, 58, snatched around $4,000 from a cashier at a 4-D outlet at Sun Plaza shopping centre.

He fired a gun at a security guard chasing him, but missed. Chan was detained by the security officer and arrested by the police that day.

He faced the death penalty for firing a gun, but hanged himself in his cell at Queenstown Remand Prison in June 2006 before he was convicted.

Aug 26, 2000

Wan Kamil Mohamed Shafian and Ibrahim Mohamed had intercepted moneychanger Jagabar Satik on an overhead bridge near Havelock Road.

Armed with pistols that Wan Kamil had bought in Thailand, they grabbed Mr Satik’s bag, before Wan Kamil shot him twice, in the head and chest, fatally.

Both men admitted to the robbery, but were charged with and convicted of the murder of a taxi driver, Mr Koh Ngiap Yong, on Aug 8, 2000.

They had stabbed Mr Koh to death with a bayonet and stole $700 from him before fleeing in his taxi.

Wan Kamil did not stand trial for Mr Satik’s murder as he and Ibrahim had already been sentenced to death and hanged in October 2002 for the murder of Mr Koh. – The Straits Times/ANN