SINGAPORE — The police have arrested two 17-year-old youths involved in an incident where one of them drank and replaced a bottle of drink that was not paid for on a refrigerated shelf.

A police report was lodged over the widely-shared video on 8 February.

The video was filmed at an NTUC FairPrice outlet and had the words “How to spread Wuhan”. The phrase was an apparent reference to COVID-19, which originated from the city in China’s Hubei province.

According to a Singapore Police Force release on Wednesday (8 April), one of the youths had uploaded the video on to his private Instagram account, but an acquaintance recorded a copy of the video and circulated it online. The video caused public alarm and concern, said the police.

“The police will not tolerate any actions that stoke undue public alarm, especially during this period of heightened sensitivity,” it added.

The police in had said in earlier media reports that according to preliminary investigations, the duo had filmed the video out of mischief and intended for it to be a joke to be shared among a closed group of friends. They later bought the drinks.

The two youths will be charged in court on Thursday with the offence of public nuisance with common intention.

If convicted of public nuisance, each can be jailed up to three months, or fined up to $2,000, or both.



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