Singapore jails Chinese national for Taylor Swift concert chicanery

A man who helped another man illegally enter Taylor Swift’s concert in Singapore was jailed for two weeks on Monday. Wu Zhihong, 54, tried to trick security officers into believing that 20-year-old Yan Shuqing had a valid concert ticket. He then helped distract a security officer while Yan followed a concertgoer passing through a turnstile gate in front of him at the National Stadium on March 7. However, Yan was caught and promptly escorted out. Wu, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to one count of intending to cheat security officers into believing that Yan had a valid concert ticket, so that the officers would allow the younger man to enter. American pop star Taylor Swift performed six concerts at the National Stadium within the Singapore Sports Hub as part of her The Eras Tour in early March. 9 famous names spotted at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Singapore The highly sought-after concert tickets were sold out within eight hours of their release, and more than 368,000 people went to the Singapore Sports Hub between March 2 and March 9, mostly to attend the concerts. Concertgoers were required to undergo two security checks before entering the National Stadium. These were a person check and a turnstile gate where they would have to scan their tickets. The court heard that Yan searched for re-sold Singapore Eras Tour tickets and came across an offer to purchase a ticket for 3,000 yuan (US$417). Yan was told to arrive at the National Stadium before that start of the concert on March 7 and that someone would help him through the gates. Yan transferred the money. As part of the arrangement, he met Wu at about 3.50pm on March 7 around the Singapore Sports Hub. There, Wu handed Yan a lanyard and a Taylor Swift poster. They later passed through the person check, and Wu handed Yan a lanyard with “VIP” and “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour” attached to a card. “The lanyard was genuine official event merchandise which was given out to VIP Singapore Eras Tour ticket-holders. The accused had obtained the lanyard before meeting with Yan, despite not being the holder of a VIP Singapore Eras Tour ticket,” the prosecution said. Wu also handed Yan a wristband. “The accused informed Yan that, when Yan reached the turnstile gates, he would not be required to scan a valid Singapore Eras Tour ticket,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang. “Instead, Yan could tailgate any of the other concertgoers while they were passing through the turnstile gate, and if he was stopped by the security officers, Yan could still enter the National Stadium by presenting the lanyard and wristband to the officers and informing the officers that he had friends inside the National Stadium.” With Wu close behind, Yan queued up to enter a turnstile gate which was manned by at least three security officers. As the concertgoer in front of him was entering the turnstile, Wu pushed Yan forward. At the same time, Wu showed the security officer at the turnstile gate his phone and spoke to him in an attempt to distract him from Yan’s antics. Yan entered the area but was spotted by another security officer who escorted him out. The incident was captured by closed-circuit television cameras. After Yan was escorted out, Wu still assured Yan that nothing was wrong. To hide his wrongdoings, he transferred 3,000 yuan to Yan and told him not to reveal the transactions to the police. Ang said that the gate was crowded then, with many people waiting to enter through the turnstiles. “The accused’s actions caused disquiet to the other concertgoers,” he said. Wu is not the only man to have been charged with helping others illegally enter the concert venue. Two others, Yang Chenguang and Li Xiao Wei, were the first to be charged with abetting concertgoers in cheating the event organiser. Ang told the court that Yan has not been prosecuted but did not specify why. What is Taylor Swift’s connection to Singapore? From her mum to her grandma He sought two to four weeks’ jail for Wu. “Fundamentally, this concerned a hugely popular event, generating significant local and regional attention. Safety and security is a paramount consideration in the premises. Consequently, actions which disrupt, or undermine these efforts, must be uncompromisingly dealt with,” he said. “Shortly after committing his … offence, the accused committed a further similar offence by tailgating another concertgoer into the National Stadium himself. This reflected persistent offending.” In Singapore, a person convicted of criminal trespass can be jailed for three months, fined up to S$1,500 (US$1,120), or both. This article was first published by CNA