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Den-of-vice in Forest Busted
In the urban jungle of Singapore, it is not easy to find people who make their homes in forested areas. It is even more difficult to find people living in the forests and making a livelihood through prostitution. We found just that.
2 In the early morning of 13 Apr 2007, enforcement officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) mounted a joint-operation at a forested area in the Upper Thomson area. Five female Thai nationals aged 19 – 44 years old, were arrested. Four of them were found to be Immigration Offenders (IOs) while the fifth was a valid Social Visit Pass (SVP) holder. The women were suspected to be providing sexual services and soliciting for clients at the nearby industrial estates, constructions sites, as well as housing estate. They were arrested and brought back to both ICA and SPF for further investigations.
3 At the time of the raid, four men, Thai nationals with valid work permits, were also present. They were released after verification of their status in Singapore. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has been notified for the destruction of the makeshift shelter in the forest.
Related penalties
4 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.
5 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.mom.gov.sg. Everyone has a part to play in keeping Singapore safe and secure. We urge members of public with information regarding immigration offenders to call ICA at Tel: 1800-391 6150 or contact the Police.
2 In the early morning of 13 Apr 2007, enforcement officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) mounted a joint-operation at a forested area in the Upper Thomson area. Five female Thai nationals aged 19 – 44 years old, were arrested. Four of them were found to be Immigration Offenders (IOs) while the fifth was a valid Social Visit Pass (SVP) holder. The women were suspected to be providing sexual services and soliciting for clients at the nearby industrial estates, constructions sites, as well as housing estate. They were arrested and brought back to both ICA and SPF for further investigations.
3 At the time of the raid, four men, Thai nationals with valid work permits, were also present. They were released after verification of their status in Singapore. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has been notified for the destruction of the makeshift shelter in the forest.
Related penalties
4 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.
5 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.mom.gov.sg. Everyone has a part to play in keeping Singapore safe and secure. We urge members of public with information regarding immigration offenders to call ICA at Tel: 1800-391 6150 or contact the Police.