S'porean man, 30, took S$1,000 from secret society 'boss' to beat up stranger in Toa Payoh lift, victim fractures ankle

A 30-year-old Singaporean man accepted S$1,000 from a secret society "boss" to assault a stranger.

The accused has been jailed for about 21 months.

According to court documents, Lu Zhong Cheng was convicted of four charges on Sep. 2, with another three taken into consideration during sentencing.

The accused carried out the assault when he was 29 years old.

Took S$1,000 to assault stranger

Lu's secret society "boss" approached him in September 2025 with the offer.

The "boss" had reportedly struck a deal with another secret society member to find someone to beat up an "enemy”, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Lu was short of cash and took up the task without knowing the reason for the grudge.

On Sep. 2, 2025, the "boss" sent Lu the 51-year-old victim's photo, car plate number, and home and work addresses.

The next day, the "boss" and Lu met in person, and Lu was told to beat the victim until he bled and to photograph the injuries as proof.

Two days of waiting

Lu waited outside the victim's home on Sep. 3 from 4pm until 9pm, but the man did not come home, according to Shin Min.

He returned the following day and started watching the block from 2pm.

At about 5:30pm, the victim came back from work.

Lu got into the lift with him at Block 130B Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

Once the doors shut, Lu punched him twice in the face.

The victim fought back. In the scuffle, Lu pushed him to the ground and fell on top of him, fracturing his right ankle.

Lu photographed the injuries, left, and later collected his S$1,000.

The victim went to the police and was treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was given 14 days of medical leave.

The assault was caught on the lift's CCTV, which prosecutors played in court on Sep. 2.

Lu was sentenced to seven months' jail and a S$1,000 fine for the assault, per court documents.

Let bank account be used for criminal proceeds

He also let his bank account be used for criminal proceeds.

In September 2025, Lu allowed his DBS account to be used to transfer and withdraw proceeds of crime, knowing the person using it was involved in criminal activity.

He was sentenced to 12 months' jail.

Caught driving without a licence while on remission

On Nov. 27, 2023, Lu ran a red light at the junction of Corporation Road and Jurong West Avenue 1, per Shin Min.

During investigations, Lu admitted he had been driving a borrowed car without a valid licence, having been convicted of a similar offence in 2018.

Both traffic charges were committed while he was on remission, from Nov. 15, 2023 to Mar. 4, 2024, which added extra jail time to his overall sentence, per court documents.

The total

Lu was given about 21 months' jail in total, plus an enhanced 20 days for offending during his remission period.

He was also fined S$1,000, and given a 36-month driving ban from the date of his release.

The sentences took effect from Sep. 5, 2025.