Singapore’s stringent border measures have kept away countless illegal immigrants who resort to all lengths to get here.
We have the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to thank for that as officers work tirelessly and are always on alert to keep our borders safe. Their role came to prominence recently when a man was caught crossing the Causeway train tracks to enter Singapore illegally.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
ICA officers from Woodlands Checkpoint immediately stopped him before he could pose a safety threat to himself and oncoming trains.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (14 Mar), the ICA shared about the unusual incident that occurred several days before on 9 Mar.
Officers had apparently spotted a man walking along the train tracks on the Causeway leading to Singapore.
When they apprehended him, the officers found that the Bangladeshi national did not possess any original identification or travel documents.
Accompanying images in the Facebook post showed that he only had what appeared to be a photograph of his identification papers.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
According to the ICA, the man was subsequently arrested for suspected immigration offences.
The authority took the chance to emphasise its “serious view on attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally”.
Citing the Immigration Act 1959, the ICA noted that people who enter Singapore illegitimately may face a maximum fine of S$1,000, up to six months’ jail, or both.
Just last month, the ICA released its annual statistics for the year of 2022.
The report revealed that they caught a total of 414 people for immigration offences last year. This was a 16.6% increase from 2021.
Among those, 57 were illegal immigrants and 357 were overstayers.
Meanwhile, the total number of people that the ICA has caught harbouring or employing illegal immigrants dropped by 4.2% in 2022. The figures for this stood at 226.
Should you have any information regarding illicit immigration activities, you should send a tip-off to the ICA via its official feedback form.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook and Google Maps.
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