Ye Lin, a 30‑year‑old Myanmar national, was charged by Singapore courts on August 21 for circulating a fabricated AI‑generated image of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir. He sent the image to a colleague at 3 p.m. on August 20, sparking a search by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the National Parks Board.
Before the court, Ye Lin told the judge through an interpreter that he intends to plead guilty and will not hire a lawyer. The prosecution alleges he also deleted the AI logs, an act that constitutes obstruction of justice.
PUB confirmed the image was fake and filed a police report the following day. The search operation halted water activities for a day; the Singapore Rowing Association and Singapore Canoe Federation were notified of the precautionary suspension.
Under Singapore law, communicating a false message can bring up to three years in prison and a fine of up to S$10,000, while obstructing the course of justice can lead to a maximum of seven years behind bars. Police warned that false reports strain public resources.
Ye Lin is scheduled to appear before the court again on November 10 to face the charges.