As dusk falls, a group of officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) lies patiently awaiting their target. Not long after darkness sets in, the eagle-eyed officers spotted a suspicious black vehicle moving very slowly around the vicinity of Senoko.

2 The date was 5 September 2009 and the street along Senoko Way was dark, quiet and deserted at about 7.30pm. The attention of the ICA officers, lying ambush in the vicinity, was trained on this lone sedan car which had stopped along the road. Shortly after, noises were heard from a passage way along a drain leading to the sea off Senoko Way. As the officers tried to make sense of the source of the sound, they saw three persons emerging from the drain and scurrying quickly towards the waiting car. Not wasting a minute, the driver sped off, towards the direction of Senoko Road.



Singapore-registered vehicle

3 At this juncture, the ICA officers sprang into action and fanned out to intercept the said vehicle. Seeing that his path has been blocked, the driver made a sudden quick reverse. There was no escape route. The officers had already sealed off his exit path. In a desperate attempt to evade apprehension, the driver and the immigration offenders climbed out of the car and fled in different directions. The vigilant officers immediately gave chase and all subjects were swiftly apprehended after a short chase.



No escape

4 The driver, a 52-year old Singaporean, claimed that he was approached by a man called ‘’Xiao Ming’’ to pick up the trio and fetch them to designated spots in Singapore. He was promised a sum of $300. The abettor is due to next appear in Court on 18 September.

5 The three immigration offenders hailed from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Chen Yanping, age 33, was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment and fined $2000 for illegal entry on 7 September. Her two other male ‘travelling companions’, age 35 and 47, were found to have previous convictions of overstaying in Singapore. They have been charged and are due to next appear in Court on 14 September.

6 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. In cases where caning cannot be administered, the offender will be fined up to $6000. The penalty for abetting immigration offenders to or out of Singapore is a jail term of two to five years, plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane.

END OF NEWS RELEASE
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
10 September 2009