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15 Immigration Offenders Nabbed and 2,770 Uncensored Discs Found
Case 1 : 15 Immigration Offenders arrested in a series of raid
On 28 Jul 2003, between 1930 hours and 2045 hours, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers mounted a series of operation against immigration offenders at lodging houses and a residential unit located along Onan Road. Within 75 minutes, 15 immigration offenders were arrested in three separate lodging houses and the residential unit.
2 In one of the lodging houses, seven male Indian nationals (five illegal immigrants and two overstayers) were arrested. They are aged between 52 years old and 31 years old and had worked illegally in Singapore as general workers at various worksites. In another two lodging houses, one 34 year-old male illegal immigrant from Bangladesh and two People's Republic of China (PRC) nationals aged 20 and 33 years old were caught.
3 Checks on the residential unit resulted in the arrest of 5 PRC nationals, consisting of two males and three females. They are aged between 28 years old and 44 years old and had either overstayed or gain illegal entry into Singapore. Three of them had attempted to evade capture by hiding at the ledge of the rooftop but was detected by the alert ICA officers.
4 ICA takes a serious view of attempts by foreigners to overstay or enter Singapore illegally and would prosecute them and others who abet their illegal stay or entry into Singapore. Under the Immigration Act (Cap 133), the penalties for overstaying or illegal entry are a jail term of up to six months plus a minimum of 3 strokes of the cane.
Case 2: Another case of Uncensored DVDs and CD-Roms found in Secret Compartment of a Van
5 After the successful haul of 6,017 pieces of assorted obscene and uncensored discs just one week ago, on 29 Jul 2003, ICA officers successfully intercepted another van that attempted to smuggle 2,770 discs in a secret compartment.
6 At about 0745 hours, ICA officers signalled a Malaysia registered van to stop for checks. During the initial check, ICA officers did not find anything incriminating in the van. However, the alert ICA officers became suspicious when they found a row of rear seats in the van that was classified as a goods vehicle on its insurance certificate. When asked of the purpose for coming into Singapore, the 44 year-old male Malaysian driver indicated that he intended to do some piping and painting works. However, ICA officers could only find a rusty can of paint.
7 Based on these observations, ICA officers decided to conduct further search and proceeded to unscrew one of the bolts on the floorboard. When a fiberscope (a miniature camera-like equipment) was inserted into the hole, ICA officers found that there was a depth of about 11 cm beneath the floorboard and suspected that there could be a specially constructed compartment beneath the van.
8 Suspecting that the driver could be using the same ruse of securing the secret compartment with electro-magnets like the earlier case detected on 22 Jul 2003, ICA officers decided to examine the vehicle battery compartment and found two additional wires connected to the battery. After disconnecting the wires, the rear seat could easily be removed and a secret compartment was exposed.
9 Inside the secret compartment, several paper carton boxes containing 1,590 uncensored DVDs and 1,180 CD-Roms of computer software and games were found. The driver was immediately placed under arrest and the vehicle seized.
10 Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver was promised RM$350/- to drive the van into Singapore. The value of the 2,770 pieces of assorted uncensored DVDs and CD-Roms is estimated at S$22,930/-. The case has been referred to Singapore Police Force for further investigation.
11 Under Copyright Act (Cap 63), persons found guilty of selling or distributing articles of any work in which copyright or trademark subsists are liable to a fine of up to $10,000/- per article (or up to a maximum fine of $100,000/-), and/or to a jail term up to 5 years. Under Films Act (Cap 107), persons found guilty of distributing uncensored films are liable to a fine not less than $500/- for each film (or up to a maximum fine of $40,000/-), and/or to a jail term up to 6 months.
12 ICA has tightened security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband. We would like to warn the public against smuggling unlawful goods illegally into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
29 Jul 2003
On 28 Jul 2003, between 1930 hours and 2045 hours, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers mounted a series of operation against immigration offenders at lodging houses and a residential unit located along Onan Road. Within 75 minutes, 15 immigration offenders were arrested in three separate lodging houses and the residential unit.
2 In one of the lodging houses, seven male Indian nationals (five illegal immigrants and two overstayers) were arrested. They are aged between 52 years old and 31 years old and had worked illegally in Singapore as general workers at various worksites. In another two lodging houses, one 34 year-old male illegal immigrant from Bangladesh and two People's Republic of China (PRC) nationals aged 20 and 33 years old were caught.
3 Checks on the residential unit resulted in the arrest of 5 PRC nationals, consisting of two males and three females. They are aged between 28 years old and 44 years old and had either overstayed or gain illegal entry into Singapore. Three of them had attempted to evade capture by hiding at the ledge of the rooftop but was detected by the alert ICA officers.
4 ICA takes a serious view of attempts by foreigners to overstay or enter Singapore illegally and would prosecute them and others who abet their illegal stay or entry into Singapore. Under the Immigration Act (Cap 133), the penalties for overstaying or illegal entry are a jail term of up to six months plus a minimum of 3 strokes of the cane.
Case 2: Another case of Uncensored DVDs and CD-Roms found in Secret Compartment of a Van
5 After the successful haul of 6,017 pieces of assorted obscene and uncensored discs just one week ago, on 29 Jul 2003, ICA officers successfully intercepted another van that attempted to smuggle 2,770 discs in a secret compartment.
6 At about 0745 hours, ICA officers signalled a Malaysia registered van to stop for checks. During the initial check, ICA officers did not find anything incriminating in the van. However, the alert ICA officers became suspicious when they found a row of rear seats in the van that was classified as a goods vehicle on its insurance certificate. When asked of the purpose for coming into Singapore, the 44 year-old male Malaysian driver indicated that he intended to do some piping and painting works. However, ICA officers could only find a rusty can of paint.
7 Based on these observations, ICA officers decided to conduct further search and proceeded to unscrew one of the bolts on the floorboard. When a fiberscope (a miniature camera-like equipment) was inserted into the hole, ICA officers found that there was a depth of about 11 cm beneath the floorboard and suspected that there could be a specially constructed compartment beneath the van.
8 Suspecting that the driver could be using the same ruse of securing the secret compartment with electro-magnets like the earlier case detected on 22 Jul 2003, ICA officers decided to examine the vehicle battery compartment and found two additional wires connected to the battery. After disconnecting the wires, the rear seat could easily be removed and a secret compartment was exposed.
9 Inside the secret compartment, several paper carton boxes containing 1,590 uncensored DVDs and 1,180 CD-Roms of computer software and games were found. The driver was immediately placed under arrest and the vehicle seized.
10 Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver was promised RM$350/- to drive the van into Singapore. The value of the 2,770 pieces of assorted uncensored DVDs and CD-Roms is estimated at S$22,930/-. The case has been referred to Singapore Police Force for further investigation.
11 Under Copyright Act (Cap 63), persons found guilty of selling or distributing articles of any work in which copyright or trademark subsists are liable to a fine of up to $10,000/- per article (or up to a maximum fine of $100,000/-), and/or to a jail term up to 5 years. Under Films Act (Cap 107), persons found guilty of distributing uncensored films are liable to a fine not less than $500/- for each film (or up to a maximum fine of $40,000/-), and/or to a jail term up to 6 months.
12 ICA has tightened security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband. We would like to warn the public against smuggling unlawful goods illegally into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
29 Jul 2003