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Singapore convicts three men for attempting to smuggle overstayer

Xinhua, March 28, 2017 Adjust font size:

Singapore convicted three men who attempted to smuggle a Bangladeshi man out of the country via Woodlands Checkpoint, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a press release on Tuesday.

The immigration offender Md Islam Md Haris Madbar who overstayed in Singapore was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and five strokes of the cane.

Md Islam was found crouching on the floor of the rear passenger seat in a Malaysian-registered saloon car on 14 February 2016, said ICA.

Malaysian Chee Tian Hao who tried to convey Md Islam out of Singapore was arrested on the same day and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and three strokes of the cane.

Following the arrests, another Malaysian and one Singaporean were arrested and convicted for assisting Md Islam to leave Singapore.

ICA said Malaysian Mohamed Haniffa Sawulmaid was sentenced to eight months in jail while Singaporean Jumali B Yusof was convicted and sentenced to two years and six weeks' imprisonment in lieu of caning.

In its press release, the authority stressed that it takes a serious view of attempts to overstay, enter or depart Singapore illegally.

"Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's safety and security. The security checks are critical to our nation's security," ICA added.

Under the Singapore's 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 engaging in the business of conveying prohibited immigrants into and out of Singapore is a jail term of not less than two years and not more than five years and caning of not less than three strokes. Endit