SINGAPORE – It was 2.30am in the wee hours of Saturday (March 18) at St James Power Station, but the music had stopped at a few of its clubs. Police officers in vests stood by the entrances, ensuring that no one left the outlets.
Inside, there was a low buzz of chatter as patrons looked around curiously, their half-empty beer towers and emptied shot glasses still on the tables. Officers screened the customers, leading a few of them out for further checks.
Club operations staff, spotted by The Straits Times, were showing the police their security officers’ passes, and accounting for whether their other employees were registered as staff.
Two of the outlets there were found in breach of public entertainment licensing conditions, said police on Saturday.
A total of 40 people were checked during the joint operations conducted by the Clementi Police Division, supported by the Criminal Investigation Department, Traffic Police and Central Narcotics Bureau.
The enforcement, which started at around 2am, took place at six entertainment outlets in St James Power Station, while the Traffic Police set up a roadblock in the vicinity of Telok Blangah Road.
Two people were also arrested for using abusive language against public servants.
Nightlife complex St James Power Station came into the spotlight last Sunday (March 12) when a 35-year-old man died after a stabbing incident that took place there between 5.45am and 6am.
Four men have since been accused of being part of a group that killed Mr Satheesh Kumar Manogaran.
One of them was a part-time waiter at Postbar – an outlet at the nightspot.
Preliminary investigations showed that the attack took place after a dispute between Mr Satheesh Kumar and an unidentified staff member at Postbar. Another man was also injured in the attack.
Said Superintendent Lim Han Woon, commanding officer of Bukit Merah West Neighbourhood Police Centre: “Police take a serious view against illegal activities. This multi-agency joint operation led by the police is an ongoing effort to clamp down on these activities.”
He added: “We will continue to work closely with our enforcement counterparts to ensure offenders are dealt with in accordance to the law.”
On Saturday morning, 22 motorists were checked by the Traffic Police as well, at their roadblock. No arrests were made.