Bangladeshi arrested for attempting to enter Singapore illegally

Singapore has arrested a male Bangladeshi for attempting to illegally enter Singapore, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Tuesday.

According to the statement, ICA officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint were informed by the Police Coast Guard that a person was sighted walking along the shoreline toward Singapore on July 3.

They arrested the 36-year-old male Bangladeshi national who had attempted to swim to Singapore from Malaysia's Johor.

Under the Immigration Act, 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 illegal departure is a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (1,481 U.S. dollars), a jail term of up to six months, or both. Investigations are ongoing.

"Our borders are our first line of defense in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation's security," ICA said.

In the meantime, Singapore security agencies in Singapore have stepped up checks and patrols following recent terror attacks in Malaysia and Istanbul, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday.

"We will calibrate security measures according to the threat environment," a spokesperson for MHA said. Endit