A 57-year-old woman was found dead in her home in Ang Mo Kio after neighbours reportedly noticed flies and a smell outside her flat.

In response to Mothership’s queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they received a call for assistance at Block 464 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 10:50am.

The woman was found lying motionless in a residential unit and was confirmed dead at the scene.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Strong odour outside flat

A neighbour, Zhuo (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News that he and his family noticed a strong odour two to three days before the incident and attributed it to a dead rat.

Zhuo said his 80-year-old mother found the unit’s door ajar on Sep. 23 when she went to exercise in the morning.

A foul smell emanted from inside the house, and flies were buzzing around.

His mother sensed something amiss and called the police, Zhuo told Shin Min.

The stench was apparently so strong that air fresheners could not cover up the smell.

Zhuo also revealed that the deceased had lived with her parents, but after both of them passed, she had been living alone ever since.

Second death at Ang Mo Kio in three days

Just two days earlier, a 72-year-old man was found lying motionless in a residential unit at Block 530 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Responding to queries from Mothership, the police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at the location on Sep. 21, 2026.

The elderly man was reportedly living alone and was only discovered after neighbours spotted blood seeping out from under the main gate into the common walkway.

An automatic mahjong table is suspected to have caused a fire at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Ang Mo Kio on Sep. 22, leaving the homeowner's children trapped in the unit.

About 20 people evacuated

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at about 10:45am at Block 254 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.

Upon its arrival, black smoke was seen emitting from the living room of a seventh-floor unit.

The fire, which involved items in the living room, was extinguished with a water jet.

Two people were found in the bedrooms during firefighting operations and were assisted out by SCDF personnel.

They were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital.

About 20 residents from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precaution.

An SCDF firefighter was also assessed for heat exhaustion and conveyed to Woodlands Hospital, similarly as a precaution.

He was subsequently discharged on the same day.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Automatic mahjong table suspected to have caught fire

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the owner of the affected unit, surnamed Zhuang (transliteration), said the fire was suspected to have originated from an automatic mahjong table in the living room.

His family of five lives in the unit.

Zhuang, 51, bought the table from a mall about a year ago for more than S$800.

However, the table was not plugged into a power socket at the time of the fire and did not run on batteries, he said, adding that he was unsure how it had caught fire.

Zhuang said the living room and master bedroom sustained extensive fire damage, and the family is currently staying in temporary accommodation arranged by HDB.

Renovation works are expected to take about four months, and the family hopes to return home before Chinese New Year next year.

A neighbour living directly below the affected unit, surnamed Huang, told Shin Min that he rushed upstairs after noticing the fire to check on the situation and alert other residents.

Huang added that he saw the fire raging from outside the unit.

According to his account, the window shattered from the heat, after which a gust of wind caused the flames to flare up and spread.

Another neighbour called Zhuang to inform him about the fire.

"About five to seven minutes later, [Zhuang] rushed back and tried to open the door. However, the fire in the living room was too intense and we could not get in at all. Fortunately, SCDF arrived at that moment so we left the rescue operation to them," Huang said.

Two stuck in the flat

Zhuang told Shin Min that his two children who were in the flat at the time were his eldest daughter, 21, and son, 18.

Fortunately, neither sustained serious injuries.

They were taken to hospital for observation and were expected to be discharged on Sep. 23.

Zhuang added that his son missed one of his A-Level papers on the morning of Sep. 23 as he had to remain in hospital for observation.

"I feel that the most important thing right now is to focus on his emotional and mental well-being. Whether or not he takes the exam is less important," he said.

MP visited affected residents

Kebun Baru Member of Parliament Henry Kwek also visited the affected residents.

In a Facebook post on Sep. 22, Mr Kwek thanked SCDF and police officers who responded to the incident, as well as HDB and Ang Mo Kio Town Council staff for their quick assistance to the affected family.

He also reminded residents to take note of basic fire safety measures at home, particularly when cooking or using sources of heat.

Improper wiring could increase risk of electrical faults

The technical director of electrical service company Power Electrical told Shin Min that automatic mahjong tables contain internal motors and electrical components, and that improper wiring, high power consumption, or poor product quality could all potentially pose a fire hazard.

He noted that automatic mahjong tables sold in Singapore are commonly manufactured in Japan or China.

Some Chinese-made models operate at 230V, while Japanese-made models typically use a lower voltage.

As these differ from Singapore’s local voltage specifications, extra care is needed when using them, he said.

He also cautioned that even when the automatic mahjong table is not switched on, leaving it plugged into the power supply could still result in a fire if there is a problem with the electrical circuit.

A 47-year-old man alarmed residents when he started throwing large items down from his house in Block 393 Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 on Sep. 21.

These items included clothes, shoes, a sofa cushion, a hair dryer, a bicycle, and a child's scooter, according to Shin Min Daily News.

"At first it started with just shoes, but later even a bicycle was thrown down," a neighbour told Shin Min. "When [the residents] saw that, we rushed to call the police."

In response to Mothership's queries, both the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they received calls for assistance at around 11am.

The police later established that the man had locked himself inside his own residential unit and refused to open the door.

He was assessed to be posing a danger to himself, prompting officers from the Special Operations Command, Crisis Negotiation Unit, and SCDF to be activated.

At about 5:05pm, the police managed to enter his unit and arrested him for committing a rash act.

Safety precautions

SCDF officers deployed two safety life air packs at the bottom of the block.

Rescuers from its Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) also rappelled from the man's unit as a precautionary measure, SCDF said.

According to Shin Min, the police cordoned off an area on the ground roughly the size of half a basketball court.

When residents walked past Block 393, the police told them not to linger in the area for their safety.

Nonetheless, many residents stood just beyond the cordoned-off area to observe the situation around the man's unit.

Stand-off

Around 2:25pm, a shirtless man appeared at the window of a unit on the 20th floor, Shin Min reported.

He was initially seen sitting on a sofa in the living room, then gradually moved towards the window.

He then rested an arm against the window, and at times looked to be muttering to himself. After a while, he walked back inside the house.

Photos from Shin Min show the man staring out the window while SCDF officers stood on a ledge above with a safety net set up.

The police reportedly later entered the unit by force, by sawing through the metal gate at the front door.

No injuries were reported. Police investigations are ongoing.

A 45-year-old Singaporean woman was sentenced to a 12-month mandatory treatment order for hurting a 78-year-old woman at a coffee shop in Tampines.

Ng Pei Lin faced three charges consisting of public nuisance, rash act and theft.

She pleaded guilty to one charge and was sentenced on Sep. 23.

The rest of the charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Commotion

In court documents seen by Mothership, on the morning of Jul. 6, 2024, Ng was walking around Happy Hawker Coffee Shop located at Block 872C Tampines Street 86.

Ng then shouted, causing a commotion in the coffee shop.

She also slammed one of the tables and threw a lighter onto it.

Ng then confronted the victim, who was in the coffee shop, and asked her why she was badmouthing her.

The victim replied that she did not badmouth Ng.

This angered Ng.

The victim then walked towards Sheng Siong supermarket, and Ng followed her.

Pulled victim's shirt

At about 7:30am, Ng pulled the victim’s shirt from behind, causing the victim to fall onto the ground.

The victim could not get up and shouted for help.

A man who was having breakfast at the coffee shop rendered aid to the victim.

She then told him that Ng pushed her.

The victim also told the man that her leg was hurting and she could not stand up.

The man then took a chair for the victim and helped her sit down.

At about 8:01am, the man alerted the police to the incident.

The victim was conveyed to the hospital.

Ng was arrested on the same day and was admitted to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric assessment from Jul. 6, 2024, to Aug. 13, 2024, and from Aug. 20, 2024, to Sep. 11, 2024.

Injuries

Upon examination, the victim was found to have tenderness over the left knee and thigh, as well as mildly displaced fractures of the left superior and and inferior pelvis.

Orthopaedics treated the injuries conservatively.

Upon further examination, the victim was also found to have central canal stenosis of the lumbar spine.

She underwent two surgeries as a result.

It is unclear whether the victim’s pelvic fractures were caused by Ng’s action.

A clarification medical report also stated that the victim had sustained injuries to her lower back as a result of the incident.

Investigations revealed pre-existing but previously undiagnosed spinal conditions that were aggravated or made symptomatic by the fall.

Schizophrenia

The prosecution called for a mandatory treatment order suitability report for Ng.

They said Ng had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and the IMH doctor had “opined that there was a contributory link between the accused’s mental condition and the offence”.

“In the present case, there is no evidence, at this stage, to suggest that rehabilitation would not be a real prospect, or that rehabilitation is eclipsed by other sentencing principles,” they said.

An elderly man living alone in an Ang Mo Kio HDB flat passed away at home.

He was only discovered after neighbours spotted blood seeping out from under the main gate into the common walkway.

The man, 72, was found motionless and was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

A neighbour, who declined to be named, told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that his mother last spotted the old man on Sep. 17, 2026.

He stated that the man would not typically leave the windows and doors open, but tended to switch on the lights and television in the living room.

When the neighbour's family noticed that his house was dark on the evening of Sep. 18, they felt that "something was wrong".

There was no sign of the man over that weekend as well.

It was only on the afternoon of Sep. 21 that they noticed a smell and saw blood pooling from underneath the gate.

A police report was quickly made.

Mental health

The neighbour further shared with Shin Min that the man was not in a good mental state and that social workers would frequently visit to check in on him.

He had been living alone for about five years, after his family members moved out.

Responding to queries from Mothership, the police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at Block 530 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 on Sep. 21, 2026.

A 72-year-old man was found lying motionless in a residential unit and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Three Malaysian men, aged between 28 and 36, were arrested for allegedly urinating by the roadside in Johor, Malaysia.

The incident reportedly occurred along the Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Highway.

Urinated together

In a video circulating online, the three men were seen standing outside a black Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV).

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The video was reportedly uploaded on Sep. 20, at about 2am.

The trio were seen presumably urinating while standing side by side.

Their genitals were not visible.

Someone behind the camera could be heard expressing their disgust at what was happening.

Arrested

In a press release on Sep. 21, local police said they were alerted to the incident on Sep. 20, at about 6:11pm, after being notified of the video.

At about 9:30pm, local police arrested the three men who were allegedly involved in the incident.

Local police also seized an MPV found in front of a restaurant in Johor.

One of the arrested apparently had a prior criminal record.

Urine tests found the trio negative for drugs.

The men are reportedly being investigated for indecency.

In Malaysia, indecency carries a jail term of up to two years.

A 46-year-old man was sentenced to 10 months’ jail after he stole several red packets containing NTUC vouchers and cash valued at about S$1,906.

Ramasamy Murugesan, an Indian national, was working as a building technician at the OCBC Centre at Chulia Street.

The thefts occurred there.

He faced four charges, including theft and housebreaking.

He pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced on Sep. 21.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Tampered

In court documents seen by Mothership, on Mar. 7, 2026, at about 11:27pm, Ramasamy tampered with the electronic door access of the office's side door.

He held onto the sides of the door access cover, pushed it up, and removed it.

Ramasamy then rewired the door and unlocked it.

He entered the office and proceeded to check the workstations for red packets.

Ramasamy eventually found red packets containing S$1,322 in cash and took them.

As he left the office, he reconnected the wire to the door, put the door access cover back, and closed the door.

Surveillance cameras at the office captured Ramasamy's actions.

A few days later, the office manager discovered the red packets were missing after her staff reported the incident.

Second tampering

On Mar. 15, sometime before 8:15pm, Ramasamy was at the OCBC Centre as he intended to sleep over at the workers’ recreational centre.

Troubled by his financial difficulties, Ramasamy recalled seeing red packets lying on the staff tables at the office during work.

He knew the red packets would contain cash, as it was the Chinese New Year celebration period, and he intended to steal them.

At about 8:15pm, Ramasamy used his staff pass to access the cargo lift and entered the seventh level of the OCBC Centre East building.

He then tampered with the electronic door access on the side door of the office, held onto the sides of the door access cover, pushed it up, removed the door access cover and rewired the door, unlocking it.

He entered the office and checked the workstations for red packets.

Ramasamy eventually found red packets containing S$474 in cash and NTUC vouchers valued at S$70.

As he left the office, he reconnected the wire to the door, put the door access cover back, and closed the door.

Separately, at 9:10pm, Ramasamy committed housebreaking at the sixth level of the same office and stole red packets containing S$40 in cash, as well as other red packets containing an unknown amount of cash.

Discovery

An assistant vice president of a department at OCBC Centre East was eventually informed that the red packets were stolen after his staff reported it to him.

He viewed the surveillance footage and discovered Ramasamy’s actions.

On Mar. 18, at about 4:47pm, the assistant vice president lodged a police report.

Ramasamy was arrested on the same day at about 6:05pm and was charged on Mar. 20.

He has since made full restitution.

According to Shin Min Daily News, Ramasamy was apparently the family's sole breadwinner.

After the incident, his family purportedly fell into financial difficulty.

He pleaded for leniency.

In July, Meta took action against over 3.6 million "shell pages" flagged by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to have been created to scam users on Facebook and Instagram.

In a Sep. 22 press release, Meta described such pages as a newer scam vector.

As they did not display ads or violate the content, they look harmless. But scammers can activate these pages for scam campaigns at a moment's notice.

Using information provided by the Singapore police, Meta managed to identify and take down more than 3.6 million shell pages before they could be used.

Meta added that it has been pursuing further disruptions against this type of scam.

Information sharing

Meta and the SPF have built an information partnership over the past two years focused on proactively identifying and removing scam content online.

Tip-offs from the SPF have helped Meta's investigators identify and dismantle not just individual scams, but entire scam networks.

"By partnering closely with industry partners, we can share scam signals that allow our partners to take action to disrupt the criminal infrastructure behind these scams," said Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Wong, the commander of the SPF’s Cyber Command.

The partnership goes both ways.

In October 2025, information from Meta helped the SPF arrest seven men suspected of being involved in a transnational unlawful remote betting operation.

Investment and e-commerce scams

Between January and June 2026, Singapore police tip-offs also led Meta to take action against thousands of entities and pages connected to fraud and scams on Facebook and Instagram.

Over 113,000 were mainly to do with investment scams, sharing content to lure victims in with promises of guaranteed or high investment returns.

Additionally, more than 33,600 entities involving e-commerce scams were found following a joint operation by Meta and SPF that focused on such scams.

Such entities promoted misleading pricing, used fake promotional tactics for well-known brands, and exaggerated product claims, with a sense of urgency and scarcity.

Further joint efforts to combat scams

Meta has also been working with the SPF and Singapore's National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) on public education campaigns designed to protect Singaporeans from scams.

They included the "One Step Ahead" campaign in 2026 that has reached 1.6 million people in Singapore so far, according to Meta.

It encourages the public to turn on in-app security features such as 2-FA (Two-Factor Authentication) and passkeys for Facebook and Instagram to enhance account protection.

WhatsApp users are also advised to use the app's security features such as Linked Device Notifications.

A 41-year-old man is slated to be charged on Sep. 23 for suspected involvement in cheating and forgery.

On Jul. 3, 2025, the police were alerted to a man who had used his position as a deputy manager at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to make several unauthorised bookings.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man made more than 180 unauthorised bookings of SUTD's football facilities over approximately three years.

The fraudulent bookings apparently resulted in a total revenue loss to SUTD of more than S$130,000.

The man allegedly deleted booking records from the system to conceal his actions.

He is facing cheating and forgery charges.

Cheating carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.

Forgery carries a jail term of up to four years, a fine, or both.

Two members of North Korea's delegation to the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya are reportedly looking to seek asylum in Japan.

They were apparently part of the 180-member North Korean delegation, which included athletes and officials, sent to the 2026 Asian Games, Reuters and Chosun reported.

Their identities and positions held among the delegation remain unclear.

Citing an official from Japan's Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, the two individuals apparently indicated they did not intend to return to North Korea.

They reportedly wanted to defect to Japan and not South Korea, and are currently exploring that possibility.

The information reportedly came from a source connected to Japan's intelligence apparatus.

It is reportedly linked to the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, known as Chongryon.

This year’s iteration of the Asian Games marks North Korea’s first large-scale visit to Japan in 41 years since the 1985 Kobe Summer Universiade.

Due to sanctions against North Korea, North Korean nationals' entry into Japan is typically restricted.

However, the Japanese government granted an exemption to allow entry to participate in the Asian Games.