8 Arrested in Night Raid on Illegal KTV Media, 45 Under Investigation

SINGAPORE: It looked like a scene from an action movie: a chipped door, two halves of the doorknob smashed, wood chips strewn across the threshold.

Reporters were greeted by the smell of alcohol and the general hubbub as they entered a residential unit on the fourth floor of the Kim San Leng building, a short walk from the City Square Mall.

This was the aftermath of a police raid on an illegal karaoke venue. Some officers were interviewing the suspects, while others were guarding each of the six rooms, keeping a close eye on clients who decided to spend Friday night (April 2) there.

Karaoke was one of three outlets that offered public entertainment or provided alcohol without valid licenses during a nightly raid that began Friday night.

Some people had also gathered in groups of more than eight, which is against COVID-19 regulations.

In a press release, police said 45 people, ages 24 to 66, will be investigated for allegedly violating the rules of the Public Entertainment Act and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2015, as well as their alleged violation. of COVID-19 measures.

Eight people were arrested, one of whom is a 38-year-old man with an outstanding arrest warrant.

The other seven people, ages 23 and 38, were arrested for crimes under the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act of 2015 and the Employment of Foreign Labor Act.

When the reporters were brought to the unit, the clients covered their faces and some of them protested when the photos were taken.

Almost everyone had been in the middle of Mandopop songs by singers like Jacky Cheung and Jay Chou when the police broke in.

Beer cans and brandy bottles lined the tables.

“LET’S BE IN THE DOCUMENTS”

The police also took the media to the other two locations.

At 137 Kitchener Road, in a drive above the Tampines Rovers clubhouse, reporters climbed a narrow staircase into divided rooms. They were decorated with plush couches and flashing neon lights, with a disco ball hanging in one room.

This was a vacant lot that the operators had converted into a KTV space, police told reporters.

“We are going to appear in the newspapers,” said a client when the journalists entered the room. “There are a lot of them.”

The third location, also along Kitchener Road, is believed to be an office space, police said. Operators soundproofed the windows in an attempt to avoid detection.

In all, CNA observed 12 client groups at all three joints, two of which had more than eight people in one group.

Police were also seen seizing television screens, karaoke equipment and liquor, loading them into a moving van.

THE POLICE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE HARD COMPLIANCE ACTIONS

Under the Public Entertainment Act and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Act 2015, the offense of providing public entertainment or supplying liquor without a valid license carries a fine of up to Singapore $ 20,000 each.

Under the Foreign Labor Employment Act, the offense of employing a foreign employee without a valid work pass carries a fine of between S $ 5,000 to S $ 30,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

The law also states that employees without a valid work pass face a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to S $ 20,000, or both.

Those who violate COVID-19 safe distancing measures could be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S $ 10,000, or both.

Central Police Division Commander and Police Deputy Commissioner Gregory Tan said Saturday morning that the raid was part of ongoing police efforts to crack down on illegal public entertainment activities.

“Police are aware that unlicensed public entertainment venues are operating despite COVID-19 restrictions,” he said. “Violators will be treated harshly under the law.”