SINGAPORE - Two 17-year-old boys have been arrested for posting a video that showed one of them drinking two bottles of juice at an NTUC FairPrice supermarket and then placing them back on the shelf.

They will be charged in court on Thursday (April 9) with the offence of public nuisance with common intention, the police said on Wednesday.

The video was uploaded by one of the boys to his private Instagram account, and was later circulated by his friend online.

The police said that the video caused public alarm during the period of heightened sensitivity of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The incident took place on Feb 8 during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore.

In the video, a boy is seen drinking from a bottle in the store before putting it back on the shelf. He takes a drink from another bottle despite an NTUC staff member walking by, and puts it back because it is too "sour".

A version of the video circulating online had the title "how to spread wuhan", referring to the Chinese city that was then the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

The two boys later said that the video was a joke and that they had paid for the drinks. They have also apologised.

"We were indeed really childish and immature... But I really hope you guys can give us a second chance," they said on social media.

FairPrice on Feb 10 urged people to refrain from forwarding the video to avoid causing further public distress. It said then that it took the matter "very seriously" and that it will work with the authorities to follow up on the case.

If found guilty, the boys can be jailed for up to three months, fined up to $2,000, or both.