Singapore woman jailed after buying live military round from church acquaintance

A 23-year-old woman in Singapore has been sentenced to four months in jail and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to possessing a live military-style ammunition round without a licence.

The woman, identified as Jermaine Lim, met another 23-year-old, Javier Tan, at church, where the pair bonded over a shared interest in military-related items. Their connection later led to criminal charges after Lim bought a live 5.56mm-calibre round from Tan for $20, News.Az reports, citing Asia One.   

Authorities discovered the ammunition during a drug raid in December 2024, when police also seized several 3D-printed items from Lim’s possession, including a partially assembled gun.

Investigators said Lim admitted obtaining the live round from Tan, leading to his arrest. Tan had earlier received the ammunition from a schoolmate at Republic Polytechnic sometime between late 2021 and early 2022.

Court documents stated that Lim had also used a 3D printer to create a gun-like object with a firing mechanism, trigger and internal spring system. Another charge linked to the 3D-printed firearm was taken into consideration during her sentencing.

After seeing images of the weapon posted on Lim’s Instagram account, Tan contacted her and later sold her the live ammunition.

The Singapore Armed Forces confirmed that the seized 5.56mm round, marked with the headstamp “CBC 09,” matched ammunition types stocked by the military and commonly used in rifles such as the SAR-21.

A forensic examination later determined that the 3D-printed gun was incomplete and non-functional because it lacked critical components including a firing pin and bolt assembly.

Tan had previously been sentenced in January 2025 to three months in jail and fined $1,000 for abetting the offence.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova