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Continual enforcement efforts against smugglers of contraband and immigration offenders
Case 1: ICA officers foiled two attempts to smuggle calcareous rocks (hard corals) in two days
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Ports Command conducted checks on two lorries at Pasir Panjang Gate 3 on 16 and 17 April 2003 and uncovered a total of 30 boxes of calcareous rocks that were undeclared. The calcareous rocks originate from hard corals and all hard corals are listed under the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species in Wild fauna and Flora (CITES).
2 A 42 year-old female Singaporean admitted ownership to the first batch of 24 boxes of calcareous rocks. For the second batch of 6 boxes, the 72 year-old male Singaporean claimed that it belonged to his company, an importer of tropical fishes. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) is investigating both cases.
3 Anyone who is convicted of illegal import of endangered species under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act can be fined of up to $5,000 ($10,000 for repeat offences) and/or jail of up to one year.
4 These two detections follow an earlier arrest of a man trying to smuggle endangered animals at Woodlands Checkpoint on 15 April 2003. ICA would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods illegally into Singapore.
5 Security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints have been stepped up to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband.
Case 2: Another Successful Arrest of 10 Immigration Offenders
6 Following an island-wide operation against immigration offenders which resulted in an arrest of 75 immigration offenders last week, ICA officers successfully arrested another 10 immigration offenders in a HDB unit at Jurong on 16 April 2003.
7 Preliminary investigations revealed all the immigration offenders arrested as Myanmar nationals. They age between 21 and 32 years old and had entered Singapore illegally or overstayed.
8 ICA takes a serious view of attempts by foreigners to overstay or enter Singapore illegally. 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 three strokes of the cane.
9 ICA would also like to remind the public that it is an offence to offer shelter and employment to immigration offenders. Homeowners can make use of ICA's online checking system, called "VERIFI" (or Verification of Foreigner Immigration Status) to verify the immigration passes of their prospective tenants. VERIFI can be accessed through ICA's Internet website: http://www.ica.gov.sg and allows users to receive an instantaneous reply on the validity of the immigration passes presented to them. Similarly, MOM has a system to allow the checking on the validity of work passes at its website: http://www.gov.sg/mom. Members of public with information regarding immigration offenders can call ICA at Tel: 1800-391 6150 or contact the Police.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
17 Apr 2003
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Ports Command conducted checks on two lorries at Pasir Panjang Gate 3 on 16 and 17 April 2003 and uncovered a total of 30 boxes of calcareous rocks that were undeclared. The calcareous rocks originate from hard corals and all hard corals are listed under the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species in Wild fauna and Flora (CITES).
2 A 42 year-old female Singaporean admitted ownership to the first batch of 24 boxes of calcareous rocks. For the second batch of 6 boxes, the 72 year-old male Singaporean claimed that it belonged to his company, an importer of tropical fishes. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) is investigating both cases.
3 Anyone who is convicted of illegal import of endangered species under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act can be fined of up to $5,000 ($10,000 for repeat offences) and/or jail of up to one year.
4 These two detections follow an earlier arrest of a man trying to smuggle endangered animals at Woodlands Checkpoint on 15 April 2003. ICA would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods illegally into Singapore.
5 Security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints have been stepped up to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband.
Case 2: Another Successful Arrest of 10 Immigration Offenders
6 Following an island-wide operation against immigration offenders which resulted in an arrest of 75 immigration offenders last week, ICA officers successfully arrested another 10 immigration offenders in a HDB unit at Jurong on 16 April 2003.
7 Preliminary investigations revealed all the immigration offenders arrested as Myanmar nationals. They age between 21 and 32 years old and had entered Singapore illegally or overstayed.
8 ICA takes a serious view of attempts by foreigners to overstay or enter Singapore illegally. 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 three strokes of the cane.
9 ICA would also like to remind the public that it is an offence to offer shelter and employment to immigration offenders. Homeowners can make use of ICA's online checking system, called "VERIFI" (or Verification of Foreigner Immigration Status) to verify the immigration passes of their prospective tenants. VERIFI can be accessed through ICA's Internet website: http://www.ica.gov.sg and allows users to receive an instantaneous reply on the validity of the immigration passes presented to them. Similarly, MOM has a system to allow the checking on the validity of work passes at its website: http://www.gov.sg/mom. Members of public with information regarding immigration offenders can call ICA at Tel: 1800-391 6150 or contact the Police.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
17 Apr 2003