Two men, both aged 20, were found injured after being purportedly attacked by six other men armed with parang knives at a coffee shop located along Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 in the early hours of Sep. 14, 2023, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The six men, aged between 22 and 34, have since been arrested by the Singapore Police Force for their suspected involvement in a case of rioting armed with deadly weapon, said the police in a Sep. 15 news release.
What happened
Speaking to Shin Min, the forewoman of the kopitiam, surnamed Zhang (transliteration from Mandarin), said that at the time of the incident, a group consisting of three men and a woman were chatting at the corner of the kopitiam.
They appeared to be in their 20s and were regular customers.
Later on, the three men went to the smoking area and sat down to smoke, whereas the woman stayed behind and began writing.
Two of the men then proceeded to use the toilet, recounted Zhang.
However, when the man dressed in a white shirt came out, he was slashed in the head by six men who rushed into the kopitiam carrying parang knives.
According to Zhang, the man in white managed to escape before returning to the drink stall at the kopitiam to ask for water.
He also went to the toilet to clean up his wounds.
“After coming out from the toilet, he sat in a chair. Later on, he just sat on the floor,” Zhang added.
Diners unbothered by the fight
As a result of the intense fight, a number of tables and chairs were overturned inside the kopitiam, according to CCTV footage seen by Shin Min.
But the fight did not seem to bother the seven or eight diners who were present at the scene when the incident took place.
Some continued to consume their food, while others moved to another table with their drinks.
Statement from police
In the news release, the police confirmed they were alerted to a fight involving weapons at the aforementioned location on Thursday at about 3:55am.
Upon arrival, officers spotted two injured men at the location, and they were subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the men, who were known to each other, were purportedly attacked by other men following a dispute.
Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from CCTVs as well as police cameras, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identities of the other men and arrested them.
A 31-year-old man has since been charged in court on Friday and remanded for further investigations for the offence of rioting while armed with a deadly weapon.
Another five men, aged between 22 and 34, will be charged in court for the same offence on Sep. 16.
Police investigations are ongoing.
If convicted, the men could face an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and caning.
Top images via Shin Min Daily News
