SINGAPORE – A man who tried to run from the police when questioned was later found to have failed to report to his camp for national service.

The Straits Times understands that police officers had been patrolling on Saturday (Nov 3) at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange at about 7pm, and spotted the young man behaving suspiciously.

He claimed not to have brought his identification card with him when officers requested that he produce it. The man instead provided his NRIC number.

When the officers screened him, it emerged that the man was a full-time national serviceman (NSF) and should thus be in camp.

After he was questioned, the man, believed to be 20 years old, ran. Police gave chase and eventually caught him.

Photos provided to Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News show at least three police officers at the scene.

One photo appears to show the officers, believed to be from the Public Transport Security Command, pinning the man to the ground.

It was reported in Parliament in September that annually over the last five years, about 28 cases or 14 per cent of NSFs convicted of being absent without official leave (AWOL) cite financial hardship as the main reason for committing the offence.

These numbers suggest that, in total, there were about 200 AWOL cases annually for the last five years.

Under the Singapore Armed Forces Act, those convicted of being AWOL can be imprisoned for up to two years.

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