Foreigner, 42, arrested after selling tissues outside Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple

The Singapore police arrested a foreign man after he was seen selling tissues outside of Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple in Bugis on Dec. 31, 2024.

According to a Shin Min Daily News reporter who visited the scene, the man had a fist-sized tumour on his chin, and relied on crutches as one of his legs was shorter than the other.

Upon seeing his physical impairments, many passers-by handed him cash without taking any tissue paper, allowing the man to collect more than S$50 in 10 minutes.

Member of public alerted police

A passerby told Shin Min that he spotted the man at around noon on Dec. 31, 2024 while travelling along Waterloo Street, where the temple is located.

At the time, the man was apparently sitting on the side of the road, with several passers-by handing him money.

The passerby, who visited the area often, said he suspected the man to be a foreigner, as he had seen other foreigners begging for money near the temple previously, and the man was an unfamiliar face.

As such, he alerted the police and asked them to take action against the man if he was a foreigner who came to Singapore to beg.

However, the passerby shared that he had also asked the police not to hinder the man from making a living if he was a local resident who needed assistance.

Received money from several passers-by

When a Shin Min reporter arrived at the scene, she saw the man sitting on the ground against a lamp post near the gate of the temple with his crutches next to him.

Holding two to three packs of tissue in his hand, the man offered them for sale to passers-by.

As Dec. 31, 2024 was the first day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, there were many visitors to the temple along Waterloo Street. Some handed the man cash when passing by.

According to the reporter, a number of them were seen giving him S$10 notes, while others offered him S$5 or S$2 notes.

When police officers arrived, they brought the man to an alley and asked for his identity documents.

After around 30 minutes, the police officers took the man into a police vehicle and left the scene.

Arrested for being prohibited immigrant

The Singapore Police Force confirmed with Mothership that they received a call for assistance regarding the man at around 12:50pm on Dec. 31, 2024.

The man was arrested for being a prohibited immigrant under the Immigration Act.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Not the first instance

The man was not the first foreigner to be arrested for selling tissues illegally in Singapore in recent months.

In September 2024, a disabled foreign man was seen doing so in the vicinity of Block 846 Yishun Ring Road.

At the time, a member of the public, who was reportedly concerned about his well-being, notified the police.

However, when police officers arrived at the scene, they found out that the man held a foreign passport and took him away.

The man was deported the next day and had been barred from re-entering Singapore, said an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesperson.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News