Aug 27, 2010
Caught smuggling immigrants
<!-- by line --> By Amanda Lee
<!-- end by line --> <!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> A Malaysian man was caught by officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at the Tuas Checkpoint trying to smuggle two immigration offenders into Malaysia. On Wednesday at about 7.30pm, as the Malaysia-registered car pulled into the checkpoint for departure clearance, officers noticed that the driver was fidgety, prompting them to check his car boot for inspection.
The driver insisted that the mechanism in the boot was out of order and could not be opened, so officers lowered the rear back seats. Two Indian men were found hiding in the boot. Both illegal immigrants, the Indian men, aged 31 and 34 years, had paid unknown agents $1,000 and $1,200 to make illicit arrangements to leave Singapore.
The 21-year-old driver confessed to abetting the illegal departure of the two Indian immigration offenders but claimed it was due to his financial difficulties and that he was offered RM800 (S$344.60) to do the job.
Investigation is ongoing.
