SINGAPORE - A 50-year-old man was arrested after a stand-off with the police in Jurong West.

He had locked himself in the house with two of his family members, the police said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 20). No one was injured.

When The Straits Times arrived on the scene, there were about 40 to 50 officers from the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

SCDF had set up an inflatable safety life air pack at the foot of the block.

The stand-off began from around noon, residents told ST. One person who was locked inside the flat was released at around 5.45pm.

Mr Sathappan Ganesan, 45, a manager in the construction industry, said he saw bystanders as well as police officers crowded around the foot of the block at about 2pm.

The police said in an updated statement on Facebook at 7.09pm that they had been conducting a joint operation with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) at about 1pm at the affected block.



The man was arrested for criminal intimidation and suspected drug-related offences. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE



"A 50-year-old man refused to open the door and had locked himself in the house with his family members upon seeing police and CNB officers," wrote the police. "The man had armed himself with a knife and threatened to harm the officers if they entered the unit."

Mr Sathappan, who lives in Block 112 just across from where the incident occurred, said he heard shouting coming from the flat shortly before police brought the suspect out.

At about 5.50pm, officers from Special Operations Command knocked down the doors and led the suspect out about 10 minutes later. He had a heavily bruised thigh.

"The man’s elderly father and girlfriend were not harmed throughout the incident," said the police. Substances believed to be controlled drugs and other drug paraphernalia were found in the unit.

The man was arrested for criminal intimidation and suspected drug-related offences.

Official sources had earlier said it was a possible hostage situation, but the police clarified that this was not so.

A man, understood to be the suspect's father, was escorted out of the flat by relatives shortly before 8pm. Speaking to the media shortly before he was driven away, the man said his son had been released from prison in 2008 and was unemployed.

Police and CNB investigations are ongoing.