G
General Veers
Guest
Singapore
Mar 22, 2010
17 caught for tempering gauges
<!-- by line --> By Reico Wong
<!-- end by line -->
MORE motorists have been caught for tempering with fuel meter gauges in their cars. On March 10, three men were caught at the Woodlands Checkpoint for the offence - all within one hour. Tan Chong Jin James, 39, Yap Soon Heng, 26, and Lee Hwa Ping, 36, were arrested shortly after midnight after sharp-eyed officers from the Immigrations and Checkpoint Authorities (ICA) detected the almost inconspicuous modifications of the fuel meter gauges of their cars. These failed attempts followed closely hot on the heels of a similar case which took place just two days earlier, involving a driving instructor. Zhang Jing Chuan, 35, was driving through the checkpoint at Woodlands at about 11.50pm on March 8 when he was stopped by officers who noticed abnormalities with his vehicle's fuel gauge.
Zhang initially denied that his fuel gauge had been tampered with but was finally forced to admit to the crime after officers conducted a body search on him and found a remote control that could manipulate the fuel gauge reading inside one of the pockets in his trousers. All four men have since been charged in court for not having the minimum amount of petrol in their vehicles' fuel tank when leaving Singapore as required by law, as well as for giving false information to ICA officers. Since January, 17 people have been prosecuted for tampering with fuel gauges on their vehicles. Ten of them have been convicted, jailed and fined. The remaining seven cases are still pending in court. Under the law, Singapore-registered cars must have at least three-quarters tank of petrol when departing the country. Those who have been found to have tampered with the fuel gauges of their vehicles to give a false reading are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or a jail term up to a year.
Mar 22, 2010
17 caught for tempering gauges
<!-- by line --> By Reico Wong
<!-- end by line -->
MORE motorists have been caught for tempering with fuel meter gauges in their cars. On March 10, three men were caught at the Woodlands Checkpoint for the offence - all within one hour. Tan Chong Jin James, 39, Yap Soon Heng, 26, and Lee Hwa Ping, 36, were arrested shortly after midnight after sharp-eyed officers from the Immigrations and Checkpoint Authorities (ICA) detected the almost inconspicuous modifications of the fuel meter gauges of their cars. These failed attempts followed closely hot on the heels of a similar case which took place just two days earlier, involving a driving instructor. Zhang Jing Chuan, 35, was driving through the checkpoint at Woodlands at about 11.50pm on March 8 when he was stopped by officers who noticed abnormalities with his vehicle's fuel gauge.
Zhang initially denied that his fuel gauge had been tampered with but was finally forced to admit to the crime after officers conducted a body search on him and found a remote control that could manipulate the fuel gauge reading inside one of the pockets in his trousers. All four men have since been charged in court for not having the minimum amount of petrol in their vehicles' fuel tank when leaving Singapore as required by law, as well as for giving false information to ICA officers. Since January, 17 people have been prosecuted for tampering with fuel gauges on their vehicles. Ten of them have been convicted, jailed and fined. The remaining seven cases are still pending in court. Under the law, Singapore-registered cars must have at least three-quarters tank of petrol when departing the country. Those who have been found to have tampered with the fuel gauges of their vehicles to give a false reading are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or a jail term up to a year.
