Eatery owner charged with selling liquor without a licence in Little India

SINGAPORE - Tan Suan Lee, 44, is accused of committing the offence at Prata City at Jalan Besar at about 9.30pm on Dec 21 last year.

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Here is the full statement from the Singapore Police Force:

On January 3, 2014, the Police will be charging the proprietor of an eatery for selling intoxicating liquors without a valid licence under Section 71(1) of the Customs Act, Cap 70. The eatery is located in Jalan Besar, within the proclaimed area at Little India.

On Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 12.50am, officers conducted a check at the eatery and found that it was serving alcohol to customers despite not having a valid licence for the sale of liquor. The proprietor, a 44 year-old man, could be fined up to $5,000 if found guilty.

Since December 2013, 14, 32 persons have been issued advisories for drinking in public within the proclaimed area during prohibited times. All these persons have complied with Police advice to stop drinking, and the Police have seized the alcohol in their possession.

The Police will continue their heightened patrols in Little India to enforce the ban on alcohol consumption and the licensing restrictions on the sale of alcohol. The Police would like to remind the public to comply fully with the restrictions imposed on the consumption and sale of alcohol in Little India. Those who fail to do so will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.