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Work Permit Card Forger Arrested by ICA Officers
On 27 May 2003 at about 2115 hours, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted a check on a 27 year-old male Bangladesh national at a bus stop in Upper Boon Keng Road. During the check, two forged Work Permits were found in his possession.
2 During the investigation, the Bangladesh national revealed that he had bought one of the forged cards from another male Bangladesh national at the vicinity of Eunos Crescent.
3 Based on the information provided, ICA officers laid an ambush at the void deck of a HDB flat in Eunos Crescent the next day, 28 May 2003. At about 1900 hours, the officers were rewarded for their efforts when two male Bangladesh nationals appeared and were seen transacting a Work Permit card. Our officers moved in and immediately placed them under arrest.
4 The Work Permit card seized from these two men was found to be forged. One of them, a 31 year-old Bangladesh national suspected to be the forger subsequently led the ICA officers to a unit in the same block where he was staying. In the flat, three other male Bangladesh immigration offenders were found and arrested.
5 During a search in the room of the suspected forger, the following items were seized:
a) 136 colour printed copies of Work Permit cards,
b) 5 tampered genuine Work Permit cards,
c) 5 genuine Work Permit cards,
d) 1 forged Safety Orientation Certificate (SOC) cards, and
e) other paraphernalia (such as scissors, pen knives, correction pen, glue and photographs) used for forgery.
Photographs of some of the above items are enclosed.
6 The forger is suspected to have altered the validity date of genuine expired Work Permit Cards by carving out the expiry date and pasting it with colour printed copies of the Work Permit cards. Each altered Work Permit card was sold for S$50/- to S$100/-. The 58 year-old, Bangladesh national who was arrested with him at the void deck is believed to be his runner.
7 Investigation further revealed that although the other three Bangladesh nationals found in the flat are not involved in the forgery of Work Permit cards, two of them had entered Singapore illegally and one had overstayed.
8 All the Bangladesh nationals have been referred to the Police for further investigation into the forgery of Government documents and immigration offences. They will be charged in court.
9 The Singapore authorities take a serious view of attempts to forge immigration cards and other related documents. For forgery of passes, the offender faces an imprisonment for a term up to 7 years and shall also be liable to a fine. In addition, if the document is one of the descriptions mentioned in Section 467 of the Penal Code, he shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
10 For illegal entry or overstaying, an offender faces a jail term of up to 6 months plus a minimum of 3 strokes and in lieu of caning, a fine not exceeding S$6,000.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
29 May 2003
2 During the investigation, the Bangladesh national revealed that he had bought one of the forged cards from another male Bangladesh national at the vicinity of Eunos Crescent.
3 Based on the information provided, ICA officers laid an ambush at the void deck of a HDB flat in Eunos Crescent the next day, 28 May 2003. At about 1900 hours, the officers were rewarded for their efforts when two male Bangladesh nationals appeared and were seen transacting a Work Permit card. Our officers moved in and immediately placed them under arrest.
4 The Work Permit card seized from these two men was found to be forged. One of them, a 31 year-old Bangladesh national suspected to be the forger subsequently led the ICA officers to a unit in the same block where he was staying. In the flat, three other male Bangladesh immigration offenders were found and arrested.
5 During a search in the room of the suspected forger, the following items were seized:
a) 136 colour printed copies of Work Permit cards,
b) 5 tampered genuine Work Permit cards,
c) 5 genuine Work Permit cards,
d) 1 forged Safety Orientation Certificate (SOC) cards, and
e) other paraphernalia (such as scissors, pen knives, correction pen, glue and photographs) used for forgery.
Photographs of some of the above items are enclosed.
6 The forger is suspected to have altered the validity date of genuine expired Work Permit Cards by carving out the expiry date and pasting it with colour printed copies of the Work Permit cards. Each altered Work Permit card was sold for S$50/- to S$100/-. The 58 year-old, Bangladesh national who was arrested with him at the void deck is believed to be his runner.
7 Investigation further revealed that although the other three Bangladesh nationals found in the flat are not involved in the forgery of Work Permit cards, two of them had entered Singapore illegally and one had overstayed.
8 All the Bangladesh nationals have been referred to the Police for further investigation into the forgery of Government documents and immigration offences. They will be charged in court.
9 The Singapore authorities take a serious view of attempts to forge immigration cards and other related documents. For forgery of passes, the offender faces an imprisonment for a term up to 7 years and shall also be liable to a fine. In addition, if the document is one of the descriptions mentioned in Section 467 of the Penal Code, he shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
10 For illegal entry or overstaying, an offender faces a jail term of up to 6 months plus a minimum of 3 strokes and in lieu of caning, a fine not exceeding S$6,000.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
29 May 2003