4 held for circulating obscene materials in another chat group

Four men, aged between 26 and 45, have been arrested for circulating obscene materials in yet another Telegram chat group, the police said yesterday.

The police were alerted to the chat group on Oct 24. Three of the men have been established as the group administrators, while the fourth, a 26-year-old, was found to have advertised the sale of obscene materials in the chat, police said.

On Wednesday, when the four men were arrested, the police seized more than 15 electronic devices, including a central processing unit, several laptops, hard-disk drives and mobile phones.

In their statement, the police advised the public to stop joining such illegal chat groups.

"The police take a serious view of anyone involved in criminal activities and will continue to take tough enforcement actions against those breaking the law," the police said.

This is the latest incident involving Telegram chat groups circulating obscene materials that the police are investigating.

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Last month, the police clamped down on a group called SG Nasi Lemak, which the police said was used by men to circulate obscene materials and promote vice activities.

Four men, including two teenagers, were arrested.

Another chat group, SharingIsCaring, is also being investigated by the police for sharing photographs of women and girls taken in public places, including on MRT trains.

Anyone found guilty of circulating obscene materials can be jailed for up to three months, fined, or both.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.