Myanmar man who used AI to create image of crocodile at Pandan Reservoir charged after PUB was alerted over fake sighting
A 30-year-old man will be charged on Sept 29 for his involvement in communicating a false message and obstructing the course of justice.
On September 29, a 30-year-old Myanmar man, Ye Lin, was charged with two counts related to a faked photo of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir, according to the Singapore Police Force (SPF). The incident occurred on August 20, which prompted Singapore's national water agency, PUB, and the National Parks Board (NParks) to deploy resources for search and capture operations. Members of the public were advised to exercise caution in the area, and water activities were suspended.
Following the discovery that the photo was fake, a police report was lodged the next day. Ye was subsequently identified, and it was revealed that he had created the image using artificial intelligence (AI) and sent it to a colleague named Min Min Oo via the Gemini AI app on August 20. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Ye subsequently deleted the image and the app.
According to the SPF, Ye will not engage a lawyer to represent him and intends to plead guilty. The charges of communicating a false message and obstructing the course of justice, if found guilty, could result in a maximum sentence of three years in jail, a fine of S$10,000, or both, and seven years in jail, a fine, or both, respectively.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
