An auxiliary police officer who was tasked to issue weapons at the airport playfully threw a bullet in the air, loaded it into a revolver and accidentally discharged a round into a countertop.
Fortunately, one of his colleagues, who was standing in front of him, was not injured.
On July 7, Muhammad Mukhlis Kamis, 39, pleaded guilty to committing a rash act endangering personal safety and was sentenced to two months’ jail.
Mukhlis was employed as an auxiliary police officer with Sats Security Services and held the rank of sergeant at the subsidiary of the cargo handler.
He was deployed as an armourer for five years before the incident in November 2023.
On the morning of Nov 22 that year, Mukhlis was at the Sats Auxiliary Police Armoury at the Singapore Air Freight Terminal Core C Building when another officer, Corporal Zulkarnaen Ramli, went to the armoury to withdraw his equipment and firearms.
Cpl Zulkarnaen was supposed to be issued with one Taurus revolver, 10 rounds of 0.38mm ammunition, one extendable baton and one handcuff.
However, Mukhlis issued nine rounds of 0.38mm ammunition instead of 10.
When Cpl Zulkarnaen pointed out that he was missing a bullet, Mukhlis took one bullet from below the countertop, threw it up in the air and caught it with his left hand.
He then inserted the bullet into the cylinder of the revolver, spun the cylinder and closed the cylinder.
Mukhlis held the revolver in his right hand, pointing it down towards the countertop, which was between him and Cpl Zulkarnaen.
Seeing this, Cpl Zulkarnaen stepped back.
Suddenly, Mukhlis placed his finger on the trigger of the revolver and pulled it, discharging one round into the armoury countertop.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee said the entire sequence of events from the throwing of the 0.38mm round to it being discharged lasted about five seconds.
After the incident, Mukhlis told his supervisors about what had happened and he was arrested.
No one was injured and no repair costs were incurred for the damage to the countertop, said the prosecutor.
Mukhlis’ defence lawyer, Mr Azri Imran Tan, said his client has since been let go of by Sats.
DPP Gwee sought a jail term of three to four months, noting that Mukhlis was aware of the serious consequences of loading a live round into a revolver as he was a certified armourer who was entrusted with the role of handling and dispensing weapons.
“There was an element of playfulness in his actions, by throwing the round into the air and catching it with his hand,” added the prosecutor, noting that serious harm or even death could have been caused given the nature of the weapon.
In mitigation, Mr Tan urged the court to sentence Mukhlis to no more than one to two months’ jail.
Mr Tan said: “To this day, our client cannot explain what drove him to decide to – foolishly – load the revolver. Whatever the reasons for his ill-advised actions, he recognises they are inexcusable and in no circumstances should he have loaded the revolver with a live round, let alone fiddle with the same.”
Mr Tan added that his client had previously received awards for safety and professionalism and deeply regrets his actions.
For a rash act endangering personal safety, an offender can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $2,500, or both.
Nadine Chua for The Straits Times
Ex-auxiliary police officer who accidentally fired gun jailed
