SINGAPORE – A 43-year old woman was arrested on Dec 25 after graffiti was found scribbled on the walls and some parked vehicles at the Salvation Army premises in Upper Bukit Timah Road earlier that morning.

In a statement on Dec 25, the police said they were alerted to a case of graffiti at Praisehaven – The Salvation Army, at 500 Upper Bukit Timah Road, at about 9.15am.

Officers found offensive words written with red spray paint scribbled on the premises and on properties, including the building’s walls and three vans, they said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

In images uploaded to Instagram page Sgfollowsall at about 2pm on Dec 25, at least three parked vehicles and two walls are seen covered with large pieces of red and yellow cloth.

According to the caption on the post, a staff member had discovered in the morning that several parts of the walls and vehicles were spray-painted red with words. It added that the police were at the scene.

When The Straits Times arrived at around 3.30pm, workers had just finished covering up the graffiti on the exterior and interior walls, as well as on the white Salvation Army vans. Remnants of red paint could still be seen on the vans.

There were no police vehicles seen in the compound, which was mostly empty.

When approached by ST, Mr Marc Lee, the public relations head at The Salvation Army Singapore, declined to share the words that were spray-painted, adding that they were “sensitive in nature and concerned religion”.

Mr Lee added that an officer who lives on the compound had found the graffiti at around 7.30am during a routine morning check.

A check on the William Booth Corps Family & Friends Facebook page shows that there was a Christmas Day service at the premises at 10am.

Walls were seen covered with large pieces of red and yellow cloth.

PHOTO: SGFOLLOWSALL/INSTAGRAM

In their statement, the police said they take a very serious view of acts that threaten Singapore’s racial and religious harmony.

“Such behaviour will not be condoned, and offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law,” they added.

The incident comes days after

a 26-year-old church volunteer was arrested

on Dec 21 for allegedly placing an item resembling an explosive device at St Joseph’s Church, which is also in Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Mass services at the church were cancelled after the police were alerted to the incident at around 7am.

The item was found to be three cardboard cylinders filled with stone pebbles and sporting protruding red wires, held together with black and yellow adhesive tape.

The volunteer, Kokulananthan Mohan, was charged on Dec 22 with making a false threat of a terrorist act. He is believed to have acted alone.

In an earlier statement, the police said there was no evidence to suggest that it was a religiously motivated attack or an act of terror.