A 77-year-old man was charged in court on Tuesday, December 16, for his alleged involvement in an act of mischief that disrupted crow population control efforts carried out by the National Parks Board (NParks).
The incident took place on October 20 at about 6.15 pm, when the police received a report of suspected tampering with a crow trap at a grass patch near Block 181 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.
The investigations found that the netting of the trap had been compromised after its cable ties were allegedly cut, leading to the escape of several crows that had been captured as part of NParks' wildlife management operations.
With the help of closed-circuit television footage and follow-up inquiries, officers were able to establish the identity of the suspect two days later, on October 22.
The man was charged under Section 427(1)(b) of the Penal Code 1871 for mischief causing disruption to the performance of a public agency's function. If convicted, he could face a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine, or both.
In a statement, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that it takes a serious view of acts that damage public property or interfere with equipment deployed for public purposes and stressed that firm action will be taken against offenders who undermine such operations.
