A 33-year-old Chinese national was handed one charge of attempted unlawful possession of firearms by a Singapore court on Aug. 29 after she allegedly tried to reach for a service revolver of an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer at Woodlands Checkpoint.

The court also ordered the woman, Xu Ting, to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for medical examination, reported CNA.

What happened

According to an Aug. 28 news release issued by the Singapore Police Force, they received a call for assistance at Woodlands Checkpoint at around 3:40pm on Aug. 27.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Xu arrived at the checkpoint after being denied entry into Malaysia.

Upon arrival, she was referred to the ICA Duty Office for secondary checks.

However, as Xu was being interviewed, she allegedly tried to grab a service revolver, which was "secured on a holster attached to the utility belt" of a female ICA officer at around 3:45pm, reported CNA.

Xu was "immediately placed under arrest", said the police.

Xu will return to court next month

Xu will return to court on Sep. 12, according to CNA.

Those convicted of attempted unlawful possession of firearms could be jailed for between five and 10 years and given at least six strokes of the cane.

However, in Xu's case, she cannot be caned as she is a woman.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001-01-4616 | Whatsapp: 65714400 (for targets of online harms)

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