On 26 August 2017 at about 7.25pm, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) alerted officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands Checkpoint that a man was seen walking between the water pipelines along the Causeway, towards Singapore.

2.         ICA and PCG officers were immediately deployed to intercept the man who was found to be hiding underneath the pipelines. He had a cylindrical floatation device with him. The 47-year-old male Indonesian was immediately placed under arrest. Investigations are ongoing.

Male Indonesian arrested. (Photo: ICA)

3.         The ICA takes a serious view of attempts to overstay, enter or depart 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, while the penalties for abetting a person to leave Singapore illegally is a jail term of not less than six months and not more than two years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding $6,000.

4.         Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security.  We will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints and our maritime border to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. 

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

28 AUGUST 2017