SINGAPORE: A string of prank calls and eggs thrown at police vehicles prompted rapid action by enforcement officers and a charge under Singapore’s vandalism law.
A 28-year-old man is set to be charged after allegedly making repeated false reports to the police hotline, then targeting responding officers with egg attacks. According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the case occurred over several weeks and involved at least 18 bogus calls.
The incidents took place between Feb 3 and March 22, with each call reporting supposed crimes that didn’t exist. Officers who responded found no incidents, but on three occasions on March 15, 21, and 22, their vehicles were hit with eggs after they stepped out to investigate.
SPF said follow-up investigations by Ang Mo Kio Police Division led to the man’s arrest on March 23. He is believed to have obtained a mobile line using a lost identity card, which he then used to place the false calls.
The pattern was that a false report would be made, and when officers arrived to check the scene, their vehicles would be vandalized. Such irresponsible acts tie up police resources and risk delaying responses to real emergencies.
The man will be charged on March 25 under the Vandalism Act 1966. If convicted, he faces a fine of up to S$2,000, jail for up to three years, and possible caning of three to eight strokes.
SPF stated that such acts show disregard for the law and will be dealt with sternly because, in real cases that require officers’ fast response, unlawful actions, such as making prank calls, slow down the authorities’ response to genuine emergencies.
The case also shows how emergency hotlines are misused and not taken seriously by some individuals for whatever reason, but each false report made draws officers away from real incidents, where time matters most.
