Man called Singapore police centres 1,035 times in 7 days, stayed silent when answered, gets 23-day jail sentence

On August 26, a 23-day jail sentence was handed to 37-year-old Foo Jia Hong, a Singaporean national, who made over 1,000 phone calls to four police centres between April 21 and 28, 2026, while remaining silent when answered. Foo entered a guilty plea to obstructing officers at Yishun Neighbourhood Police Centre, making 425 silent calls to this centre alone, and hundreds more at centres in Ang Mo Kio North, Bedok, and Geylang for a total of 1,035 calls.

Three additional charges relating to these calls were considered in his sentencing. The maximum penalty for obstructing a public servant in the performance of their duties is six months' imprisonment and a fine of up to S$6,500. Police traced the calls to Foo in May, after which he was arrested and remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric assessment. Although diagnosed with mild intellectual disability, IMH stated that this condition did not directly contribute to his offenses.

The prosecution sought a three to five-week jail sentence, citing Foo's previous conviction for another offence in early 2026. Foo's lawyer Daniel Atticus Xu argued for a two-week sentence, noting that Foo made the calls to police centres and not the emergency hotline. District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan acknowledged Foo's mild disability, but emphasized the need for deterrence in sentencing.

Foo had taken steps to conceal his identity, using a foreign number to make the calls, which was registered to a foreign worker who had discarded the SIM card. Foo found the SIM card at a night market in Ang Mo Kio, purchasing a second-hand mobile phone. He admitted to making the calls for "fun and enjoyment."