Malaysian arrested for arranging illegal departure of an overstayer
SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old Malaysian man was convicted for engaging in a business to convey an immigration offender out of Singapore via Woodlands checkpoint.
In a statement today, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said Chee Tian Hao was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and three strokes of the cane on March 23 this year.
On Feb 14, 2016, Chee was arrested by officers from ICA for attempting to illegally convey Md Islam Md Haris Madbar, a 32-year-old male Bangladeshi overstayer, in a Malaysia-registered saloon car out of Singapore.
Md Islam was found crouching on the floor of the rear passenger seat.
The vehicle used in the commission of the offence has been detained and is liable for forfeiture.
Following the arrest of Chee and Md Islam, ICA officers conducted further investigations into the case and established that another Malaysian man was involved in the arrangement of the illegal departure.
On the same day, Mohamed Haniffa Sawulmaid, aged 36, was stopped at the departure bus hall of Woodlands Checkpoint and placed under arrest.
ICA officers also established a fourth person, 61-year-old Singaporean man Jumali Yusof, who was involved in arranging the illegal departure.
Md Islam was convicted on March 15, 2016 and sentenced to six months' imprisonment and five strokes of the cane.
Mohamed Haniffa was convicted on Feb 28, 2017 and sentenced to eight months' imprisonment while Jumali was convicted on Nov 25, 2016 and sentenced to two years and six weeks' imprisonment in lieu of caning.
The ICA takes a serious view of attempts to overstay, enter or depart 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, 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. — Bernama