A man in his early 50s was taken into custody by the police after being found with a knife and a pipe at Boon Lay Place Food Village in the late hours of February 24th (Saturday). No one was hurt during the incident.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident occurred around 11:20 pm at Block 221A Boon Lay Place. A food stall vendor reported that the man arrived at the food center dressed in black and at some point, accidentally knocked over a chair, causing a small knife hidden behind his back to fall out. This startled the nearby hawkers and customers, prompting someone to quickly notify the police.
Furthermore, it was revealed that when the man was purchasing his meal, he confided in the hawkers about his suicidal thoughts. Surveillance footage obtained by Shin Min showed the man, clad in a black shirt, being apprehended by police officers while seated alone at a table. Upon searching him, the officers discovered a knife measuring approximately 10cm in length and a pipe. A video posted on TikTok on February 25th showed the man in handcuffs, being questioned by the police. At least eight police officers were present at the scene.
It is understood that the man is a regular at the food center, and some hawkers were perplexed as to why he had a knife and pipe with him, noting that he did not cause any disturbance that night. A female hawker, who chose to remain anonymous, shared that she had known the man for nearly a decade and that he had previously been married to a Vietnamese woman who had since left him. She added that the man resided opposite the food center with his 70-year-old mother, who was battling cancer.
The police confirmed with Shin Min that a 53-year-old man was arrested for possessing weapons in public, and investigations are still ongoing.