In separate cases, three individuals have been charged by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday (26 March) for harbouring immigration offenders.
In the first case, a 26-year-old Singaporean man, Phang Kang Rui and a 32-year-old Singaporean woman, Chia Kai Hui were charged for harbouring a 33-year-old Malaysian man.
The Malaysian, Ho Aik Chuan, had remained unlawfully in Singapore. Ho’s visit pass expired on 22 Nov, 2015.
Investigations found that the pair allegedly let him stay at their unit in Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 for over 8 months, from October 2024 until his arrest in June 2025.
Source: Google Maps
The overstayer was later sentenced to six months’ jail and three strokes of the cane. He has since been deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.
In the second case, a 40-year-old Chinese female work permit holder Xie Shenghua was charged with harbouring another overstayer.
The 42-year-old man he harboured, Zhang Xiaoling, had remained in Singapore illegally after his special pass expired on 12 Sept, 2024.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Zhang was allegedly permitted to live at a unit in Prinsep Link for about 10 months before being arrested on 14 Jan.
He was subsequently sentenced to 10 weeks’ jail and three strokes of the cane. He has also been deported and banned from returning to Singapore.
ICA stressed that it takes a firm stance against those who harbour immigration offenders.
Landlords and tenants are required to verify the immigration status of foreigners before renting out their property.
This includes checking original work passes, matching them against passports, and confirming their validity with authorities.
Those found guilty of harbouring overstayers can face between six months and two years in jail, along with fines of up to S$6,000.
Even those who do so negligently may face fines or imprisonment.
Also Read: 40-year-old man charged with harbouring 10 women for prostitution, absconding from S’pore
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