Coast guard intercepts ferry to arrest woman who boarded after pouring hot water on husband

Police Coast Guard intercepted an Indonesia-bound ferry to arrest a passenger suspected of pouring hot water on her husband four hours earlier in MacPherson.

Police said they were alerted on Thurday (March 23) at about 7.30am to a case of a 24-year-old man being scalded by hot water in the vicinity of Balam Road by an unknown person, who fled the scene.

Mr Muhammad Rahimi Shamir Ahmad Safuan sustained second-degree burns on his neck and shoulders, and was conscious when taken to the hospital.

The thermos flask, believed to have been used in the assault was found discarded and seized by police.

With the aid of images from police cameras and coordination between officers from the Police Operations Command Centre, Bedok Police Division and Police Intelligence Department, it was established that the suspect was a 28-year-old woman.

Records showed that she had departed Singapore from Singapore Cruise Centre on a ferry, shortly before her identity was established.

Investigations revealed that the woman knew the victim and purportedly took steps to conceal her identity, including masking her face during the assault and changing her attire thereafter. The attire that she wore during the assault was also seized.

With the additional assistance of officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, Clementi Police Division and the Police Coast Guard, the ferry was successfully intercepted by Police Coast Guard shortly before it left Singapore territorial waters with the aid of the coast guard's maritime surveillance systems which located the position of the ferry.

The woman was arrested at about 11.30am the same day.

Commander of Bedok Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Wong, commended the officers for arresting the suspect even after she had boarded a ferry departing Singapore.

He said, “This arrest demonstrates the Police’s ability to apprehend those who try to escape via our maritime borders. The excellent coordination between the various units, including the Police Coast Guard, allowed us to swiftly identify and detain the suspect before she left Singapore waters.”

The woman, Rahimah Nisva, was charged in court on Saturday with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, which carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years, or a fine, or any combination of such punishments, with the possibility of enhanced punishment.

She is currently out on $15,000 bail.