Police probe youths in Singapore who allegedly stole fish from closed Pasir Ris pond at 3am

SINGAPORE: Police are investigating after CCTV footage showed a group of youths allegedly sneaking into a closed fishing pond at D’Best Recreation in Pasir Ris during the early hours of 20 November.

CCTV captures after-hours fishing

The footage, timestamped 3.23am, shows a boy in a black T-shirt casting a fishing line over the fence surrounding the pond. When a fish took the bait, it became stuck in the safety net.

A second boy in a white T-shirt climbed over the fence, lifted the net, grabbed the fish, and threw it onto the grass. A girl nearby held a plastic bag, which the fish was placed into.

The business said this was not the first time the group had done this; they had been caught and warned twice before.

Fish taken worth more than S$50

General manager Huang, 41, told local media that the youths later switched roles and repeated the act. He said they had thrown bait into the pond after it closed at 6pm.

The pond contains species such as grouper, red snapper, golden snapper, and barramundi, and the group allegedly took two or three fish worth over S$50 (approximately US$37).

The youths are known visitors. Two months earlier, they entered a “catch and release” pond but secretly removed fish, receiving only a verbal warning.

Third offence triggers police report

As this was their third violation, the business lodged a police report. SPF confirmed that investigations are under way.

Huang said that since 2020, violations occur nearly every one or two days, ranging from after-hours fishing to taking catches without paying.

The five-hectare site is difficult to monitor, leading to the installation of more than 10 CCTV cameras, including new units at key “hot spots”.