SINGAPORE - A 55-year-old man was arrested last Saturday for misusing his boarding pass to enter the transit area of Changi Airport, said the police on Tuesday.

The man had allegedly purchased an air ticket to obtain a boarding pass.

He entered the transit area to send off his girlfriend, who was departing Singapore, according to investigations. 

As he had no intention of leaving the country, the man was arrested for violating the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017.

The Act prohibits the misuse of boarding passes to enter protected places in the airport.

Police investigations are ongoing.

“The police would like to remind members of the public that the transit areas of Changi Airport are gazetted as protected places,” said the police.

Since January, the police have arrested 16 people for the misuse of boarding passes under the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017.

They entered the transit areas for reasons other than to travel out of the country.

Those who misuse their boarding passes to enter transit areas, for reasons other than to travel out of Singapore, will be detected and arrested, said the police.

If convicted, they can be jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $20,000.