SINGAPORE - Three people were arrested on Sunday night (Jan 12) for allegedly entering Singapore illegally, the Police Coast Guard said on Monday.
They were a 44-year-old Indonesian man, a 41-year-old Indonesian woman and a 39-year-old Malaysian man.
The police said in a statement that the coast guard detected an unnumbered fibreglass boat at sea off Eastern Buoy, which is located off the coast of Changi, at 9.13pm on Sunday.
The Indonesian man and Malaysian man jumped off the boat while the woman remained on board. Shortly after, the Indonesian man swam back to the vessel.
The coast guard then intercepted the boat and arrested the two Indonesians who were on board, the police said.
The Malaysian man, believed to be the boatman, tried to flee by swimming away. He was later detained and arrested at sea, off Eastern Buoy.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the two Indonesians had intended to enter Malaysia illegally via the boat steered by the Malaysian man to seek employment.
The trio were arrested for illegally entering Singapore under the Immigration Act.
The Malaysian man is also being investigated for smuggling illegal immigrants into the country.
They were charged in court on Tuesday morning.
Anyone found guilty of illegal entry into Singapore can be jailed for up to six months and get at least three strokes of the cane. Anyone found guilty of smuggling illegal immigrants can be jailed for between two and five years and get at least three strokes of cane.
Women cannot be caned.
