Two men have been arrested and charged in Singapore, after allegedly helping fans sneak into Taylor Swift’s concerts without tickets.
The incidents took place last Monday (February 26), during the third of the pop icon’s six sold-out shows in the South East Asian city-state.
According to reports by outlets including The Independent and BBC News, one man allegedly distracted security staff by talking to them, while another held onto a turnstile to let three fans in.
A third man who was arrested is under investigation and has yet to be charged, Singapore police said in a statement on Tuesday (March 5).
Singapore has some of the strictest laws in the world, and anyone convicted of cheating faces a sentence of up to three years in jail.
The shows, held as part of Swift’s mammoth ‘Eras’ tour, were in particularly high demand when the pop icon visited Singapore, as they marked the only stop in the region. Tickets sold out months before the live shows took place.
According to the various outlets, one of the three men that the group snuck into the show was Chinese influencer Yang Junhao, who alleged that he unknowingly bought fake tickets.
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“This is me after being told I bought fake tickets, and was brought out [of the concert] to be interrogated by the police,” he reportedly told his followers in a video posted to Douyin, China’s version of TikTok (via BBC). “I pleaded with the police to let me stay outside the venue so that I can hear Taylor’s voice.”
“I spent 12,000 yuan (£1,300) on the ticket and didn’t know it was fake even after I entered the concert. I only realised it after officers brought us out,” he added. “I am also a victim, I am stuck in Singapore and assisting in the investigation. It’s a difficult situation.”
Security personnel at the Singapore Sports Hub venue claimed that they had detained several people who tried to trespass into the concert venue. Similarly, organisers of the gigs said they would be working closely with police to “ensure the safety and security of the public”.
The shows only being held in Singapore come after the city-state struck a deal to prevent Swift from bringing her show to any other location within the Association Of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which comprises 10 countries.
The exclusivity deal was then criticised by a lawmaker in the Philippines. “[This] isn’t what good neighbours do,” said Joey Salceda, who asked the Philippines’ Department Of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to formally protest against the grant. “Our countries are good friends. That’s why actions like that hurt.”
In response, Singapore’s Prime Minister said: “It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement, I don’t see that as being unfriendly… Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don’t explicitly say, ‘You will come here only on condition that you’ll not go to other places’.”
The remaining trio of Swift’s tour dates are scheduled for this week (March 7, 8, 9).