Dhoby Ghaut MRT station staff catch suspected upskirter who tried to flee by changing train lines

Five train station staff on duty on the first day of Chinese New Year found themselves plunged into action when a commuter suspected of taking an upskirt photo attempted to flee at Dhoby Ghaut station.

Before the man could board a train and escape, he was tracked down by the team comprising SBS Transit and SMRT staff, who detained him before handing him over to the police, according to a Feb. 14 Facebook post by SBS Transit.

The incident

On Jan. 29, SBS Transit station manager Aurelius and assistant station manager Hafiz were alerted by an SMRT colleague that a commuter had been suspected of taking an upskirt photo.

The man also tried to flee from the North-South Line to the North East Line at Dhoby Ghaut station.

Immediately, Aurelius and Hafiz rushed over to the North East Line platform in pursuit of him.

Together with SMRT station manager Ira and assistant station managers Sangkari and Suzaine, they found the suspect at the platform and tried to detain him.

However, the man was uncooperative and tried to board a train, but was stopped by the team.

When the suspect tried to delete the photos on his phone, Aurelius restrained his arms firmly.

Meanwhile, Hafiz wrestled the phone away from him to "preserve the evidence".

The suspect was subsequently handed over to the police.

Commended for their actions

The five staff were commended in a small ceremony on Feb. 14 for their actions in helping a commuter in need.

On the incident, Aurelius shared that he remained calm and focused as they were trained to handle such incidents.

Hafiz recounted, "My instincts kicked in and I knew I needed to stop him and prevent the evidence from getting deleted."

SBS Transit commended the five staff who responded to the incident for their vigilance and quick thinking.

"As part of the One Transport family, we are committed to working together to ensure the safety and comfort of our commuters as our top priority," it wrote in the post.

Top image from SBS Transit/Facebook