20-year-old tried to smuggle two men hidden in car boot but was caught at Woodlands Checkpoint

SINGAPORE: A 20-year-old Malaysian man was charged in court on Saturday (July 5) after he allegedly tried to smuggle two men out of Singapore by hiding them in the trunk of his car.

The attempt was uncovered in the early hours of Saturday morning when officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) conducted checks on the vehicle as it was passing through Woodlands Checkpoint.

ICA officers stopped the car for inspection at about 3 a.m. and discovered the two men, aged 30 and 31, hidden in the rear compartment. Neither of the two men hiding in the vehicle had any valid travel documents with them.

All three men were arrested on the spot and subsequently charged in court.

The ICA said that it takes a serious view of attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally and will not hesitate to take firm action against those who flout Singapore laws.

Under the Immigration Act 1959, persons found guilty of illegal entry or exit face severe penalties. Illegal immigrants can be jailed for up to six months and receive at least three strokes of the cane. Individuals caught attempting to leave the country illegally may be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Those convicted of smuggling illegal immigrants out of Singapore face even harsher consequences: between two and five years of imprisonment and at least three strokes of the cane. The vehicle used in such offences may also be seized by the authorities.