A male Malaysian driver has been arrested for attempting to smuggle an Indian national out of Singapore by hiding him in the luggage compartment of a bus.
On October 14, 2018, at about 9.20pm, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers stopped the departing Malaysia-registered bus for checks at the Tuas checkpoint.
The 37-year-old driver was visibly nervous when spoken to by the officers. Sensing something amiss, they conducted thorough checks of the bus and found a man hiding in the luggage compartment.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the “illegal passenger” is a 25-year-old male Indian national who is due to appear in court for another case, ICA said in a statement.
The driver was promised SGD $700 by an unknown agent if he successfully conveyed the male Indian national out of Singapore illegally. The driver and the man will be charged in court today, October 16, for offences under the Immigration Act.
The penalties for illegal departure is a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both.