SINGAPORE, May 29 — The identity of the man who was spotted in a drain along Hume Avenue in the Hillview-Bukit Batok district has yet to be established, the police said on Friday.

TODAY reported Thursday that there was a five-hour search by the police, including Gurkha officers, to locate the man who was spotted by a resident in the area in the early morning. Officers from national water agency PUB were also seen during the search.

Responding to TODAY’s queries on Friday, the police said that together with PUB, they had found discarded items in the drain. These include a luggage bag, clothing, fashion accessories, kitchenware and 20 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The discarded items were of no value and have since been cleared, the police added.

The case has been referred to the Singapore Customs.

The police said that they had received a call for assistance at 51 Hume Avenue at 6.39am on Thursday, where a suspicious person was spotted under a covered drain along a footpath.

However, the person had left the area before police officers were able to access the drainage system, they said.

“Members of the public are advised to call 999 immediately if they see any persons behaving suspiciously in their neighbourhood,” the police added.

Past finds in drainage system

In May 2014, it was reported by news outlet The New Paper that in Bukit Panjang, someone discovered a secret home in a drainage canal, which leads from the central water catchment area to Pang Sua pond near Bukit Panjang Plaza.

Items such as beds, clothing, shoes and even a child’s school bag were found in the area.

About three years later in October 2017, national daily The Straits Times reported a case of possible habitation inside a large drain at the Bukit Panjang neighbourhood, where items such as a bed, plastic bags, rubbish and shoes were found.

The location of the drain was near a construction site along Kranji Expressway.

A construction worker was quoted as saying then that he had seen three men living in the drain for two to three months.

PUB stressed then that “members of the public are not allowed to enter drains at all times for their personal safety”.

Anyone found to enter drains without prior approval can be fined up to S$3,000 (RM10,234), it added. — TODAY