The immigration offenders would first be brought to a secluded spot along the eastern coast of Singapore. From there, an innocuous fishing vessel would pick them up and send them to the high seas where they would be transferred to another vessel to bring them illegally into a neighbouring country. No matter how they crack their brains conjuring new and innovative modus operandi, the syndicates are often unable to escape the long arm of the law. And once again, the valiant officers from the Home Team have busted the attempts of a local-based smuggling syndicate involved in facilitating the illegal departure of immigration offenders from Singapore to Malaysia via motorised boats.

2   On 18 March 2009, officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Police Coast Guard (PCG) conducted a joint operation at the eastern coast of Singapore against immigration offenders who sought to depart Singapore illegally by sea route. The officers staked out in the vicinity of a secluded spot on the beach and kept a lookout for suspicious vehicles. At about 1830hrs, a Singapore-registered lorry was spotted pulling into a park near the beach.

3   Four men, later established to be a Singaporean and three Chinese nationals, alighted from the vehicle and were spotted loitering along the shore. It was not long after when a Singapore-registered fishing boat berthed near the beach and the three Chinese men boarded the vessel, while the Singaporean man left the scene.

4    A PCG vessel trailed the fishing boat to a fish farm at the south of Pulau Ketam, where the trio disembarked. The officers moved in swiftly and apprehended the trio who were subsequently ascertained to be immigration offenders. The fishing boat was also seized.

The fishing vessel




5    It was later established that two of the three Chinese nationals, 37-year-old Zhang Qinghua and 40-year-old Yang Zhong had overstayed in Singapore for a period ranging from four to five years. The third offender, 52-year-old Wang Huigen claimed to have entered Singapore from Malaysia illegally by boat in 2006. They also admitted that they had paid a sum of between $2,000 to $2,500 to the 44-year-old Singaporean lorry driver to facilitate their illegal departure by sea.

    

The illegal trio
(from left: Zhang Qinghua, Wang Huigen, Yang Zhong)

6    During the interview with the 56-year-old Singaporean boatman, he too, admitted that he was paid $1,000 by the same Singaporean man to transport immigration offenders from the shores of Singapore to a nearby kelong located west of Pulau Ubin. He further confessed that he would first bring the trio to his fish farm to the south of Pulau Ketam for a stopover, and thereafter proceed to meet up with a Malaysian boatman at a kelong west of Pulau Ubin. There, the illicit transfer of the China nationals would take place from the Singapore vessel to another boat for their onward journey to Malaysia. He would share half of his earnings with the Malaysian boatman in return for his assistance.

The Singaporean abettors

                             
Tay Sze Kheng – The boatman           Cheng Choon Yeow – The lorry driver


7    Based on the positive identification of the lorry driver, officers conducted a stakeout operation in the vicinity of his place of residence and finally nabbed him at the void deck. All five subjects, and the lorry and boat used in commission of this offence, were handed over to PCG.

8     The five subjects were charged in court over the period from March to September this year. The Singaporean abettors were charged with the offence of Engaging in the Business of Conveying Illegal Immigrants under Section 57(1)(c), Chapter 133 of the Immigration Act. Both were sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment while Cheng Choon Yeow was given an additional 3 strokes of the cane. Wang Huigen was charged for Unlawful Entry under Section 6(1)(c), Chapter 13 of the Immigration Act and sentenced to 6 weeks' imprisonment and a $2,000 fine. Yang Zhong and Zhang Qinghua were both charged for Overstaying under Section 15(1), Chapter 133 and Unlawful Departure under Section 5(4), Chapter 133, of the Immigration Act. Both were given 6 strokes of the cane, and in addition, Yang Zhong was sentenced to 5 months’ imprisonment while Zhang Qinghua was sentenced to 4 months' imprisonment.

9     ICA and SPF take a serious view of attempts by foreigners who 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. In cases where caning cannot be administered, the offender will be fined up to $6,000. The penalty for conveying illegal immigrants in or out of Singapore is a jail term of two to five years, plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane. The conveyance used in the commission of the offence is also liable for forfeiture.


IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY AND
Singapore Police Force

24 SEPTEMBER 2009