On 21 May 2015 at about 9.40pm, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers directed a departing Malaysia-registered saloon car at the Woodlands Checkpoint for checks. ICA officers opened the car boot and found a man crouching inside. The driver and the “boot passenger”, both Indonesians, were immediately placed under arrest. 

 

2.         The 48-year-old driver, Hasan Bin Maksum and the 41-year-old “boot passenger”, Sofyan Soeb, were charged and convicted on 4 June 2015. Hasan was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane for conveying Sofyan out of Singapore. Sofyan was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane for overstaying in Singapore and failing to present his passport to an immigration officer when leaving Singapore. The vehicle used in the commission of the offences has been detained and is liable for forfeiture.  

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 engaging in the business of conveying prohibited immigrant into and out of Singapore is a jail term of not less than 2 years and not more than 5 years and caning of not less than 3 strokes. 

 

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

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

5 June 2015

Annex

 

 

    

A man found crouching in the car boot

         

Hasan Bin Maksum                      Sofyan Soeb