http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,199002,00.html?
He sneaks illegals into S'pore by boat
Johor man pleads guilty to 5 charges involving illegal immigrants
By Joycelyn Wong
April 16, 2009
LOST SON: Salam last month holding a photo of his dead son, who was killed while trying to escape from S'pore police coast guards. PICTURE: GUANG MING DAILY
HE WAS the man to go to if they wanted to enter Singapore illegally.
Salam Awang, 62, a Malaysian, was the head of a human-smuggling syndicate known as Mat Gajah (Malay for Elephant Man).
Based in Johor, where he lived, it had been operating since 2001.
Salam charged his clients $2,000 to $2,500 each and arranged for them to enter Singapore illegally by sea under the cover of night.
He even roped in his son and former son-in-law, both Malaysians, to ferry the illegal immigrants here.
On one such trip last month, Salam's son ended up losing his life when his speedboat crashed into a Police Coast Guard (PCG) vessel.
A warrant for Salam's arrest was issued in February, and it was endorsed and executed by the Malaysian authorities.
After being arrested in Johor, he was extradited to Singapore last week.
Yesterday, Salam pleaded guilty to four charges of abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants and one charge of abetting a person to enter Singapore illegally. He will be sentenced today.
The court heard that illegal immigrants would contact Salam personally or through their agents.
After receiving payment, he would provide them with food and temporary lodging in makeshift wooden huts while he arranged for boat operators to smuggle them into Singapore.
One boat operator he used was Mohd Addha Atan, 28, a Malaysian.
Salam provided Mohd Addha with a motorised sampan and paid him between RM150 ($60) and RM200 for each illegal immigrant he successfully smuggled in.
Between mid-2006 and last November, Mohd Addha made three trips here, ferrying five Bangladeshis and two Chinese nationals. He dropped them near the shore in the northern part of Singapore.
Last 16 Nov, he was arrested by the Malaysian police and handed over to the Singapore authorities.
Later that month, he was charged with unlawful entry and abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants.
Mohd Addha was jailed two years and six weeks and given six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to two charges.
Salam also arranged for a Chinese national, Zhen Yuling, 38, to enter Singapore by sea on 18Sep last year.
The boatman, whose identity is unknown, managed to sneak off, but Zhen was arrested that night along the shore at Tanjong Gedong, in the north-western part of Singapore.
She pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and was jailed six weeks and fined $2,000.
Towards the end of last year, Salam got his former son-in-law, Khamis Mohammad, 49, to help out in his 'business'.
Khamis transported 30 illegal immigrants from Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang, Johor, to Singapore in a speedboat.
Amputated
Khamis' left leg was amputated below the knee and he walks with the help of a prosthetic leg.
In February, he smuggled in another load of five illegal immigrants by sea from the same place.
His final trip here was on 14Mar. This time, he was accompanied by Salam's son, PRamlee Salam, 28, who operated the speedboat.
Khamis acted as the lookout and was supposed to receive RM250 from Salam for each illegal immigrant they ferried.
But at 1.50am, two PCG vessels spotted the speedboat, which had just dropped off the Chinese nationals near the shoreline off Punggol.
The police gave chase and officers used loud-hailers to order it to stop. They also fired flares into the sky.
But the duo ignored the warnings and carried out a series of dangerous manoeuvres in a bid to escape. They ended up colliding with one of the patrol boats.
PRamlee was found unconscious in the boat after the crash and was taken to shore, where paramedics pronounced him dead.
A post-mortem showed that he had died of head injuries. There will be a coroner's inquiry into his death.
Khamis was later charged with unlawful entry and abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants. He was jailed for 21/2 years and given 15 strokes of the cane.
For abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants, Salam can be jailed up to five years on each charge.
For abetting a person to enter Singapore illegally, he can be jailed up to two years.
He sneaks illegals into S'pore by boat
Johor man pleads guilty to 5 charges involving illegal immigrants
By Joycelyn Wong
April 16, 2009
LOST SON: Salam last month holding a photo of his dead son, who was killed while trying to escape from S'pore police coast guards. PICTURE: GUANG MING DAILY
HE WAS the man to go to if they wanted to enter Singapore illegally.
Salam Awang, 62, a Malaysian, was the head of a human-smuggling syndicate known as Mat Gajah (Malay for Elephant Man).
Based in Johor, where he lived, it had been operating since 2001.
Salam charged his clients $2,000 to $2,500 each and arranged for them to enter Singapore illegally by sea under the cover of night.
He even roped in his son and former son-in-law, both Malaysians, to ferry the illegal immigrants here.
On one such trip last month, Salam's son ended up losing his life when his speedboat crashed into a Police Coast Guard (PCG) vessel.
A warrant for Salam's arrest was issued in February, and it was endorsed and executed by the Malaysian authorities.
After being arrested in Johor, he was extradited to Singapore last week.
Yesterday, Salam pleaded guilty to four charges of abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants and one charge of abetting a person to enter Singapore illegally. He will be sentenced today.
The court heard that illegal immigrants would contact Salam personally or through their agents.
After receiving payment, he would provide them with food and temporary lodging in makeshift wooden huts while he arranged for boat operators to smuggle them into Singapore.
One boat operator he used was Mohd Addha Atan, 28, a Malaysian.
Salam provided Mohd Addha with a motorised sampan and paid him between RM150 ($60) and RM200 for each illegal immigrant he successfully smuggled in.
Between mid-2006 and last November, Mohd Addha made three trips here, ferrying five Bangladeshis and two Chinese nationals. He dropped them near the shore in the northern part of Singapore.
Last 16 Nov, he was arrested by the Malaysian police and handed over to the Singapore authorities.
Later that month, he was charged with unlawful entry and abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants.
Mohd Addha was jailed two years and six weeks and given six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to two charges.
Salam also arranged for a Chinese national, Zhen Yuling, 38, to enter Singapore by sea on 18Sep last year.
The boatman, whose identity is unknown, managed to sneak off, but Zhen was arrested that night along the shore at Tanjong Gedong, in the north-western part of Singapore.
She pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and was jailed six weeks and fined $2,000.
Towards the end of last year, Salam got his former son-in-law, Khamis Mohammad, 49, to help out in his 'business'.
Khamis transported 30 illegal immigrants from Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang, Johor, to Singapore in a speedboat.
Amputated
Khamis' left leg was amputated below the knee and he walks with the help of a prosthetic leg.
In February, he smuggled in another load of five illegal immigrants by sea from the same place.
His final trip here was on 14Mar. This time, he was accompanied by Salam's son, PRamlee Salam, 28, who operated the speedboat.
Khamis acted as the lookout and was supposed to receive RM250 from Salam for each illegal immigrant they ferried.
But at 1.50am, two PCG vessels spotted the speedboat, which had just dropped off the Chinese nationals near the shoreline off Punggol.
The police gave chase and officers used loud-hailers to order it to stop. They also fired flares into the sky.
But the duo ignored the warnings and carried out a series of dangerous manoeuvres in a bid to escape. They ended up colliding with one of the patrol boats.
PRamlee was found unconscious in the boat after the crash and was taken to shore, where paramedics pronounced him dead.
A post-mortem showed that he had died of head injuries. There will be a coroner's inquiry into his death.
Khamis was later charged with unlawful entry and abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants. He was jailed for 21/2 years and given 15 strokes of the cane.
For abetting a business of conveying illegal immigrants, Salam can be jailed up to five years on each charge.
For abetting a person to enter Singapore illegally, he can be jailed up to two years.
