SINGAPORE – A tense Sunday morning at St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah saw authorities spring into action after a suspicious object was reported on the church grounds around 7.10 am on Dec 21, 2025, prompting an evacuation and a full security response from police and military teams. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said officers were called when someone alerted them to a suspicious item inside a drain within the church compound on Upper Bukit Timah Road, leading to a swift lockdown of the area to ensure public safety.
When police arrived on the scene, a 26-year-old man, who was identified as a church volunteer, told officers he had found the object and then “immobilised himself and held on to the suspicious item,” according to an SPF Facebook statement.
In response, authorities evacuated parishioners and nearby visitors, and the Singapore Armed Forces’ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group (CBRE) was deployed alongside the Singapore Civil Defence Force to assess the potential threat.
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After lengthy checks that lasted several hours, specialists determined that the object — which initially looked like an improvised explosive device, was in fact made up of three cardboard rolls and wires taped together with black tape and contained no explosive elements, meaning it posed no danger to the public. The item was safely removed from the church grounds and the operation was wrapped up by late afternoon, with the police cordon lifted at about 5.10 pm.
Although no injuries were reported, the man was arrested under the United Nations (Anti-terrorism Measures) Regulations for making a false terrorist threat, and is expected to face court charges for the offence, which can carry up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both. An application will also be made to have him remanded for psychiatric evaluation. Authorities emphasised that preliminary investigations suggest he acted alone, and there is no evidence the incident was religiously motivated or an actual act of terrorism.
The church confirmed that all Sunday services were cancelled due to the incident, though it said normal mass activities would resume from Monday. Community and political leaders highlighted the importance of vigilance, urging residents to remain watchful and respectful, reinforcing that places of worship should always be spaces of peace and safety.
