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Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Feb 4, 2010
Record high contraband cases
By Carolyn Quek
THE number of foreigners sneaking into Singapore illegally and staying on without papers have dropped by over 66 per cent from 10 years ago to 5,560 cases. On the other hand, contraband smuggling cases soared to a record high of more than 52,800 cases since the formation of ICA in 2003.
The biggest jump in smuggling cases involved food, animals, plants and other controlled items under Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), according to figures released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday.
ICA said 1,800 illegal immigrants and 3,760 overstayers were arrested last year, a drop of 25 per cent and jump of less than 1 per cent, respectively, from 2008. The number of people caught harbouring immigration offenders and those hiring illegal workers also declined last year.
Contraband smuggling cases saw a 37 per cent jump last year from 2008's 38,600 cases as smugglers become 'more deceptive and ingenious' to escape the law, the ICA said. One in every four such cases involved illegal smokes - making it the most common type of contraband case detected last year .
Cases involving security-related items like flick knives as well as prohibited and controlled drugs like Subutex jumped by more than 70 cent. The biggest increase in contraband cases however came from AVA-controlled items which jumped to 5,900 cases last year, up by 228 per cent from 2008.
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Feb 4, 2010
Record high contraband cases
By Carolyn Quek
THE number of foreigners sneaking into Singapore illegally and staying on without papers have dropped by over 66 per cent from 10 years ago to 5,560 cases. On the other hand, contraband smuggling cases soared to a record high of more than 52,800 cases since the formation of ICA in 2003.
The biggest jump in smuggling cases involved food, animals, plants and other controlled items under Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), according to figures released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday.
ICA said 1,800 illegal immigrants and 3,760 overstayers were arrested last year, a drop of 25 per cent and jump of less than 1 per cent, respectively, from 2008. The number of people caught harbouring immigration offenders and those hiring illegal workers also declined last year.
Contraband smuggling cases saw a 37 per cent jump last year from 2008's 38,600 cases as smugglers become 'more deceptive and ingenious' to escape the law, the ICA said. One in every four such cases involved illegal smokes - making it the most common type of contraband case detected last year .
Cases involving security-related items like flick knives as well as prohibited and controlled drugs like Subutex jumped by more than 70 cent. The biggest increase in contraband cases however came from AVA-controlled items which jumped to 5,900 cases last year, up by 228 per cent from 2008.
