Myanmar man who used AI to create image of crocodile at Pandan Reservoir charged after PUB was alerted over fake sighting

SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (Sep 29), a 30-year-old man who faked a photo of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir last month, prompting a response from national agencies, was charged with one count of communicating a false message and one count of obstructing the course of justice.

The Police said in a statement on Monday night that PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, had been notified of a crocodile sighting at Pandan Reservoir on Aug 20.

This caused the PUB and the National Parks Board (NParks) to deploy resources to conduct search and capture operations, and members of the public had been advised to exercise caution in the area. Water activities there were also suspended.

However, the PUB soon discovered that the photo that had been submitted as proof of the sighting had been faked, and by the following day, a police report was lodged. Upon investigating the matter, it was discovered that a man had created the image using artificial intelligence and had sent it to one of his colleagues.

Afterwards, he deleted the image, as well as the app he had used to create it, in an attempt to conceal his actions, the Police added.

“The Police will not hesitate to take action against anyone who communicates falsehoods. Apart from causing fear and inconvenience caused to members of the public, such falsehoods also result in public resources being unnecessarily deployed to deal with these incidents,” SPF said.

On Tuesday, the man was identified as Ye Lin, a Myanmar national. According to reporting from CNA, Ye sent the image to an individual named Min Min Oo at 3:00 pm on Aug 20.

The report added that Ye would not engage a lawyer to represent him, and that he intends to plead guilty. It also said that the fact that Ye had deleted the image and his log history on the Gemini AI app was the basis of the charge of obstructing the course of justice.

A person found guilty of communicating a false message faces a jail term of as long as three years, a S$10,000 fine, or both. For obstructing the course of justice, a person who is convicted could go to jail for as long as seven years, be made to pay a fine, or both. /TISG

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