Cigarette peddler who ran massage parlours jailed after car chase
He was driving illegally, with contraband cigarettes, and using his phone. And for about seven minutes, he led a Traffic Police officer on a high-speed chase in rush-hour traffic.
Caught using his mobile phone while driving along the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), Pang Xinyao, 37, did not heed the officer's signal to pull over.
Instead, he fled, changing lanes abruptly and nearly causing accidents. He also ran at least seven red lights, and drove against the flow of traffic twice, before finally being nabbed after a foot chase.
Yesterday, Pang was jailed for 19 weeks and fined $11,200 for various offences.
On Dec 3, 2017, Pang was transporting more than 600 packs of contraband cigarettes and was driving a rented car without permission or a driving licence.
The car had been rented by another person who had asked him to return the vehicle and the key to the rental company on Nov 8.
Pang did not do so.
And on the morning of Dec 3, he collected contraband cigarettes he had bought to resell for a profit, keeping them in the boot of the car.
USED PHONE WHILE DRIVING
He was driving home along the BKE towards the Woodlands Checkpoint when Staff Sergeant Nazirul Haffiz Syed Nassir saw him using his phone.
The ensuing car chase ended when Pang stopped at the carpark of Block 335 Woodlands Street 32, alighted and asked Staff Sgt Nazirul to show leniency. Then Pang ran and was arrested at a nearby block.
He had also operated five illegal massage parlours, some of which provided sexual services.
On Monday, he pleaded guilty to nine charges, including reckless or dangerous driving, possessing contraband goods, as well as offences under the Massage Establishments Act.
Nine other charges were taken into consideration.
As he did not pay the fine, Pang will serve an additional 36 days in prison.
He is also banned from driving all classes of vehicles for two years following his release.
In his sentencing remarks, District Judge Marvin Bay said the facts of this case were especially egregious.
He said Pang recklessly took the police on a prolonged high-speed chase and his heedless driving resulted in near-misses with hapless motorists.
The judge said: "Dangerous driving must be taken seriously."
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