Man, 24, who molested woman, 33, in Bedok gets arrested at Tuas Checkpoint

A 24-year-old man who allegedly molested a woman in Bedok was arrested at Tuas Checkpoint before he could leave Singapore.

The police said they received a call for assistance from the victim last Wednesday (July 5), at around 7.20pm. She alleged that an unknown man had molested her in the vicinity of Bedok North Street 1.

Through ground enquiries, close coordination with the Police Operations Command Centre, and with the aid of police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division swiftly established the man's identity.

With the assistance of officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the police arrested the man within three hours of the report at Tuas Checkpoint before he could depart Singapore.

The swift arrest was made possible by the strong inter-agency cooperation between the police and ICA, said the authorities in a joint news release.

Police investigations on the man are ongoing.

The offence of outrage of modesty carries a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine and/or caning.

The police said they have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the community. Offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.

They also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to report the matter immediately if they witness an incident of outrage of modesty or are aware of someone being a victim of outrage of modesty.

ICA said safeguarding Singapore’s borders is its top priority and it will "continue to work with law enforcement agencies to detect undesirables and keep Singapore safe."