'Bomb threats' received at 18 locations around S'pore, including Environment Building

Government buildings, embassies and other places of interest received the threats on Aug. 23, 2023, but checks found no items of security concern.

Gawain Pek| August 23, 2023, 08:04 PM

Alleged bomb threats were made to 18 locations around Singapore on the morning of Aug. 23, 2023.

A Singapore Police Force spokesperson confirmed the news with Mothership in response to queries on the evacuation and lockdown of the Environment Building, which occurred on the same morning.

The spokesperson said the police were alerted to the threats at around 9:10am on Aug. 23.

The locations included government buildings, embassies and other places of interest.

No items of concern found after checks

After being alerted to the threats, the spokesperson said the police coordinated with the security officers at the respective premises to undertake security checks, and no items of security concern were found.

"The police are aware that similar reports of email bomb threats sent seemingly by the same person had been received by the Republic of Korea recently, which had turned out to be a hoax," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also added that the police take all security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who intentionally communicate false information on bomb threats.

They explained that if threats are received at a building premises, security officers or Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) are trained to search for and handle suspicious items appropriately.

The spokesperson also advises members of the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious persons or items, such as persons with unusual attire and suspicious behaviour, or parcels with stains, wires or emitting a strange smell.

The police are investigating this case of communicating false information of a harmful thing under Section 268A of the Penal Code 1871, which carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years, a fine which may extend to S$50,000, or both.

MSE confirms bomb threat received

In a Facebook post, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) confirmed that a bomb threat was received related to the Environment Building.

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Top image via Leonard Chia/Google Maps