Anti-firecracker squads set for action

Star: Light a firecracker and you may just find a group of policemen waiting to arrest you, warned state police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Christopher Wan.
“Anti-firecracker squads have been formed in all the police stations statewide this Chinese New Year to catch revellers beating the government ban on such items.
“These squads will patrol their areas to ensure that the ban is not defied. Gurney Drive and the Esplanade, which are revellers’ favourite spots, will be patrolled nightly.
“I have also directed the OCPDs to ensure that the banned items are not sold by the roadside or at markets. Those caught selling are also liable to be charged.
“We will not tolerate such blatant disregard of the law. More than 20 people were arrested and charged in the courts last year,” he said when met at his office yesterday.
DCP Wan said all fireworks, except for the happy boom, magic pop and the pop pop types, are banned, adding that the public can call the police hotline (04-2691999) if the noise gets to be too much.
Administrator Goh Su Yen, 33, said for the past few years, she has been having sleepless nights caused by the din from firecrackers which would sometimes last up to 2am in her neighbourhood.
“I welcome the police’s crackdown against those selling and playing with such items. It is good that the police have formed these anti-firecracker squads,” she said.