4 Indonesian men arrested for unlawful entry into S'pore & possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes

Four Indonesian men between the ages of 28 and 50 have been arrested for attempting to enter Singapore illegally from the sea and possessing duty-unpaid cigarettes.

They will be charged in court on May 19 for their offences, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a joint news release with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on May 18.

The Police Coast Guard (PCG) detected four men attempting to enter Singapore illegally from the sea through a small craft, where they landed outside the fence line of Pulau Tekong at 1:27am on May 17.

"Following the detection, officers from PCG, the Gurkha Contingent, the Special Operations Command and K-9 Unit immediately responded and successfully arrested the four unarmed Indonesian men who disembarked from the craft," the press release stated.

The men were detained outside the protected areas of Pulau Tekong and were allegedly found without any travel documents.

They were also found with uncustomed goods, including a total of 2,700 packets of assorted duty-unpaid cigarettes and one fibreglass craft, which was fitted with a motor.

All items were seized in the operation.

For unlawful entry into Singapore, the men may be sentenced to a maximum of six months in jail and no less than three strokes of the cane.

The PCG and Singapore Customs are handling the investigations.

Commander of the Police Coast Guard, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Ang Eng Seng said:

“The joint operation with ICA exemplifies the collaborative efforts to safeguard Singapore Territorial Waters and Singapore’s sea borders against crime and security threats, including unauthorised entry into and departure from Singapore."

He added, "Anyone who plays a part in such unlawful entry or departure from Singapore, such as ferrying the illegal immigrants to or from the place of arrival or departure, will face the full brunt of the law."

Top image via SPF