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The couple in Singapore allegedly involved in a luxury goods scam by collecting millions of dollars from hundreds of customers but did not fulfil the orders, had simply hid in the rear container of a lorry to escape and enter Malaysia illegally.

Here's how 26-year-old Singaporean Pi Jiapeng and the 27-year-old Thai national Pansuk Siriwipa pulled off their audacious attempt to escape, according to the two Malaysian men who pleaded guilty to smuggling the couple out.

Men agreed to smuggle them

The two Malaysian men – Mohamed Alias, 40, and Mohamad Fazli Abdul Rahman, 38 – were both working for the same logistics company in Malaysia, CNA reported.

Fazli's acquaintance, who is unidentified and only goes by Anson, contacted him some time around Jul. 3, 2022.

Anson asked Fazli to find another driver to smuggle two people out of Singapore into Malaysia through the Tuas Checkpoint the next day on Jul. 4.

While Anson did not specify who the two people were by name, it was later learnt that they were Pi and his wife Pansuk, The Straits Times (ST) wrote.

Fazli, who is based in Malaysia, agreed in return for RM16,000 (approximately S$5,000).

He called Alias on the same day to ask if he could smuggle two people out of Singapore using the Tuas Checkpoint.

Alias, who worked as a lorry driver delivering goods from Malaysia to Singapore, agreed to the plan, but for a fee.

Boarded lorry at Ang Mo Kio

On Jul. 4, Alias drove to a self-storage facility in Ang Mo Kio with a Malaysia-registered lorry.

He was out on a delivery order and had shared his location with Fazli, who was instructed by Anson, and told Alias to wait for Pi and Pansuk at the facility.

At around 5pm, the couple arrived and told Alias they were there to take a ride in the lorry, which signalled to Alias that they were the two people he was smuggling, according to CNA.

Pi and Pansuk then boarded the lorry while Alias alerted Fazli of the successful pick-up.

How they got through Tuas Checkpoint

The couple sat in the lorry's passenger seat while Alias drove the vehicle.

At some point near Tuas Checkpoint, Alias told Pi and Pansuk to get up and hide in the rear container compartment.

The trio reached the checkpoint at around 7:30pm, and an immigration officer performed the clearance procedure for the vehicle to leave Singapore.

ST reported that no spot check was conducted for the lorry's container.

Picked up by unidentified driver

Alias called Fazli once they entered Johor.

Fazli, who had been instructed by Anson, told Alias to drop Pi and Pansuk at a a flyover near the Johor Checkpoint.

An unidentified driver subsequently picked the couple up.

Flew under the radar for over a month

After fleeing Singapore and arriving in Johor, Pi and Pansuk managed to avoid being arrested for over a month until they were caught on Aug. 10.

The couple had intended to continue their journey up north by fleeing to Thailand, even though they were without their passports.

However, their plans fell through after a fallout with a Thai partner, who apparently betrayed and ratted the couple out to the police in Thailand.

Arrested and handed to SPF

Thai police alerted the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to the couple's whereabouts.

The police in Singapore then sought help from police in Malaysia.

The couple were accosted by Malaysian police at 11pm on Aug. 10, around 30 minutes after they arrived at BookMe hotel, near Aeon Mall at Bukit Indah.

Prior to their arrest, CCTV footage from the hotel showed Pi and Pansuk standing outside and waiting to check in to the budget accommodation, which costs RM69 per night.

The Malaysian police took the couple away at 3:15am on Aug. 11.

The couple was handed over to SPF and brought back to Singapore after 6pm on the same day.

Investigations and proceedings against the couple are ongoing, and Pi and Pansuk is set to appear in court on Oct. 11.

Alias and Fazli arrested

Fazli received RM16,000 from Anson via bank transfer the next day on Jul. 5, and passed RM11,000 in cash to Alias, according to CNA.

By that time, Pi and Pansuk were being investigated by the police, which led to the identification of Fazli and Alias and warrants of arrest for their arrests were subsequently issued.

Alias was detained at Tuas Checkpoint and arrested on Jul. 14.

Fazli's arrest came 15 days later, after the Malaysian police arrested and handed him over to the SPF.

The pair each faces two separate charges for abetting Pi and Pansuk to leave Singapore illegally.

Pleaded guilty and sentenced to jail

Alias and Fazli pleaded guilty to their charges, CNA reported.

During mitigation, Alias said he was the sole breadwinner in his family, saying that he has three young children with his wife and supports his elderly parents.

Fazli shared that he came from a similar background, saying that he to take care of his parents, three children, and his wife, who is not working.

He added that he needs to take his mother to the hospital every month, and has to pay off his house and car.

Both were unrepresented.

The prosecutor argued that the harm caused by Alias and Fazli was "substantial", whereby they aided two people who were being investigated for serious offences leave Singapore illegally.

They were each sentenced to jail for one year, according to ST.

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Top image from Shin Min Daily News and courtesy of Mothership reader