A 30-year-old man will be charged in court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, after an AI-generated image of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir triggered a search and a halt to water activities there, the Singapore Police Force said on Monday.
National water agency PUB received a crocodile sighting tip on 20 August. The public was told to take care around the reservoir, and PUB and the National Parks Board ran search and capture operations. The photograph was later found to be fake, and a police report was lodged the next day.
Police said preliminary investigations showed the man created the AI-generated image and sent it to a colleague, then deleted the image and the related application. He faces charges of communicating a false message and obstructing the course of justice.
Penalties for false messages
Communicating a false message carries up to three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. Obstructing the course of justice carries up to seven years’ jail, a fine, or both.
Police said such falsehoods can cause fear and inconvenience and force public resources to be deployed unnecessarily. They urged the public not to circulate false or edited images, including AI-generated ones, as if they were authentic, and not to submit fabricated material to the police or other agencies.
