A 37-year-old man was arrested for allegedly causing public alarm by leaving an unattended bag at Farrer Park and Outram Park MRT stations on the North-East Line on Monday, police said on Wednesday.
According to the police press release, the man had left the bag at one of the exits of Farrer Park MRT station at about 12.25 pm. However, he later collected the bag and left the station before the officers reached the scene.
Meanwhile, the police were informed about another similar case of an unattended bag at Outram Park MRT station on the same day at around 2.10 pm. The 37-year-old man approached the officers and claimed ownership of the bag in that case as well while the investigations were going on.
"The bag contained a laptop, mobile phones and computer-related paraphernalia. Further investigations revealed that the man was the same person who had earlier left his bag at Farrer Park MRT station," police said in the media release.
The police said that the preliminary investigations suggested that the man had intentionally left his bag inside the two MRT stations while he went to run errands. The authorities added that the investigations are still going on.
If convicted with the offence of Public Nuisance under Section 290 of the Penal Code, the man may be fined up to S$1,000.
The police also urged the public not to leave their personal belongings unattended in any public space. They added that in case of any such suspicious items or behavior, members of the public should report to the MRT staff or the Police immediately.
