6 men with parangs slash 2 others at Ang Mo Kio coffee shop; diners unfazed

Two men were slashed by six attackers at a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio in the wee hours of Thursday (Sept 14) morning. 

An eyewitness told Shin Min Daily News that he walked past the 24-hour coffee shop located at Block 232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 at about 6am that day and noticed several bloodstains on the ground. 

A few police personnel were also at the scene. 

Speaking to a reporter from the Chinese daily later that day, some nearby residents said they heard shouting downstairs. Police officers also arrived shortly after. 

"At about 4am, there were police sirens, and we also heard some rapid footsteps," said one resident, who declined to be named. 

Zhang, the manager of the coffee shop, told Shin Min that she rushed to the premises upon hearing about the incident, but the attackers had already escaped by then. 

According to Zhang, three men and one woman, believed to be in their 20s, were sitting at one of the tables at the coffee shop. The three men later left to smoke, while the woman stayed at the table. 

Moments later, two of the men went to the toilet. A plump man in a white T-shirt came out first and was brutally attacked. 

CCTV footage showed that a total of six men were involved in the attack. 

The victim's friend, who saw the attack, tried to escape by hiding in the toilet. However, the attackers found him and chased him to a nearby pavilion. He was also slashed. 

Zhang said he later returned to the coffee shop to get water to clean his wounds. 

"He sat on a chair when he came out of the toilet, but later ended up sitting on the floor," she recalled. 

Pan, an assistant at the coffee shop's kway chap stall, told Shin Min that he was eating when the attack occurred. He witnessed the plump man getting slashed and recounted that he was too stunned to move from his seat. 

He added that the six men quickly fled the scene after the attack. 

Six arrested for rioting armed with deadly weapon: Police 

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said in a statement on Friday that they were alerted to a fight involving weapons along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. 

Upon their arrival, officers spotted two injured men at the location, and both were taken to the hospital. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the men, aged 20 and known to each other, were purportedly attacked by other men following a dispute. 

The police have arrested six men, aged between 22 and 34, for their suspected involvement in a case of rioting armed with deadly weapon. 

A 31-year-old man was charged in court for the offence of rioting armed with deadly weapon and remanded for further investigations on Friday. 

Another five men, aged between 22 and 34, will be charged in court for the same offence on Saturday. 

The offence of rioting armed with a deadly weapon under Section 148 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and caning. 

Diners unfazed by commotion 

Amid the brutal attack, other patrons at the coffee shop continued having their meal. 

CCTV footage revealed that there were seven or eight other patrons who appeared rather calm during the incident. Some of them simply moved to another table to avoid the kerfuffle. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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