Singapore police fed up with hoax calls to hotline

Singapore  - Fed up with hoax calls to the 999 hotline, police in Singapore are putting up posters in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil warning against the offence, officials said on Thursday.

Prank calls number about two every minute in Singapore.

Those who call emergency numbers intending to harass can face up to a year's jail or a fine, or both, police said.

Nearly 1.05 million of the 1.62 million calls made to police last year were hoaxes. Based on 2005 figures, one in five of such calls were made by children.

The posters, to be put up in primary schools and preschools and displayed at events, depict designs warning against prank calls such as a friend warning a boy who is dialing the hotline.

A 12-year-old boy told police last year an explosion was going to take place in the city-state. Police traced the call, gave him a stern warning and confiscated his mother's mobile phone which he used.. (dpa)

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