Suspected Sri Lankan overstayer caught in ICA operation while sleeping at HDB rooftop garden
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Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority arrested a Sri Lankan man on April 8.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
- ICA officers arrested a Sri Lankan overstayer in Woodlands, highlighting the challenges of locating offenders who deliberately avoid detection by gathering intelligence and sealing escape routes.
- In 2025, 538 immigration offenders were arrested (54 illegal immigrants, 484 overstayers), a similar figure to 2024 (61 illegal immigrants and 475 overstayers respectively).
- Overstayers, often driven by economic reasons, face jail up to six months, minimum three cane strokes, or a $6,000 fine, deportation, and re-entry ban; harbourers risk two years imprisonment and $6,000 fine.
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SINGAPORE – The man was sleeping in a garden above an HDB multi-storey carpark in Woodlands when plainclothes officers surrounded him during a pre-dawn operation on April 8.
The 11 officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) had obtained information that the man, a 27-year-old Sri Lankan national, was an overstayer with a social visit pass that had expired on June 28, 2025.
The suspect was spotted at Block 574 Woodlands Drive 16 with another foreigner.
Officers observed the two men for several hours and, after making sure all escape routes were blocked, arrested the suspect upon checking both their identities against ICA’s Mobile Automated Verification and Identification System.
Officers can conduct fingerprint and facial recognition biometrics screening using the handheld system.
The other man was released when he produced a valid work pass.
Overstayers accounted for most immigration offenders arrested in Singapore, according to ICA figures.
ICA officers questioning and searching the Sri Lankan man's bag at an HDB rooftop garden on April 8.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Of the 538 immigration offenders arrested in 2025, 484 were overstayers and 54 were illegal immigrants.
The figures were similar the previous year – of the 536 immigration offenders arrested, 475 were overstayers and 61 were illegal immigrants.
Recent trends show that immigration offenders hide from the authorities by avoiding areas where large groups of foreigners gather.
ICA Superintendent Toh Ah Sia, a senior assistant director with ICA’s intelligence division, told The Straits Times: “Locating individuals who have deliberately gone off the grid can be demanding, as it requires persistence and close teamwork among the officers.”
He added: “The eventual arrest of these individuals is especially gratifying for me, as it reflects the team’s collective effort.”
The suspect in Woodlands was arrested without drama, thanks to the prior surveillance of the location and briefing of officers on their roles in the operation.
But Supt Toh said there have been suspects who resisted arrest, including by climbing onto window and air-conditioning ledges to evade capture.
He added: “Where subjects may be seemingly harmless or low-risk at first glance, it is always a concern that the initial engagement may potentially escalate into a hostile or dangerous situation.”
The Woodlands suspect was taken to ICA’s enforcement division, where an investigating officer recorded his statements.
ICA said that to build its case, an investigating officer may collect immigration and employment records, as well as CCTV footage and mobile phone records.
Witnesses, harbourers and employers could also be interviewed to corroborate facts.
Assistant Superintendent Mohamad Faiz Mohamad Kamal from ICA’s enforcement division said officers have to regularly interact with individuals from diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds when investigating a case.
“Effective communication – navigating language barriers and cultural sensitivities, and adapting approaches – is essential to build rapport and ensure accurate information-gathering for thorough investigation,” he added.
An investigation officer from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s enforcement division speaking to the suspected overstayer at an interview room in the ICA building.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Under the law, an overstayer can be jailed for up to six months, and may receive a minimum of three strokes of the cane or be fined a maximum of $6,000.
Immigration offenders will also be deported and barred from re-entering the Republic.
According to previous reports, most immigration offenders overstay in Singapore for economic reasons.
They may receive support from compatriots and food handouts from various organisations, while holding ad hoc employment to make some money.
In March, 11 Nepalese men were arrested for overstaying during an enforcement operation targeting food and beverage establishments employing immigration offenders.
Two of them were allegedly employed by two Singaporean men, who are now being investigated by ICA.
The agency also takes a firm stance against those who harbour immigration offenders, reminding landlords that the onus is on them to check the immigration status of their prospective foreign tenants.
A 26-year-old Indian national was arrested in March for providing lodging to 13 Indian nationals – 11 men and two women, aged between 19 and 44 – who had overstayed in Singapore after the expiry of their visit passes.
Those found guilty of harbouring overstayers or illegal immigrants can be sentenced to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $6,000.
ICA said members of the public can report suspected cases of immigration offenders at https://go.gov.sg/icafeedbackio
