Five people, including three men and two women aged between 23 and 37, were arrested following a suspected case of unauthorised possession of a gun at an industrial building in Woodlands.
The police said that they were alerted to the incident at about 4.20 pm on January 12 at Woodlands Close, Primz Bizhub.
After conducting extensive ground enquiries and reviewing images from police cameras, officers from the Woodlands Police Division and the Criminal Investigation Department identified a 23-year-old man as a suspect and arrested him within eight hours.
At the time of his arrest, the 23-year-old was found in the company of four other individuals. Subsequent searches led to the seizure of a large cache of weapons and related items.
These included two airsoft guns, a samurai sword, a baton, three machetes, an axe, a dagger, a knuckle duster and a taser.
The police also recovered airsoft metal and plastic pellets, two de-registered car plates, 72 SIM cards, etomidate e-vaporiser pods, as well as items believed to be controlled drugs and drug paraphernalia.
The 23-year-old man and another man aged 34 was charged in court on January 14 with possession of a scheduled weapon under Section 7(1)(a) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.
For first-time offenders, the offence carries a penalty of up to five years' imprisonment and a minimum of six strokes of the cane.
Investigations against all five individuals are ongoing for various offences under several laws, including the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906, the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act 1960, and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973.
The suspected drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau for further investigation.
In a statement, the police reiterated their firm stance against illicit activities and acts of violence that threaten public safety, warning that offenders will face the full force of the law.
They added that the police remain committed to keeping communities safe and will continue to take swift and decisive action against those who endanger public security through violent behaviour and drug-related offences.
