Trio arrested for allegedly entering Singapore illegally by boat
Two men jumped into the sea in a bid to escape when a Police Coast Guard vessel approached their boat in Singapore waters on Sunday night.
The men - a 44-year-old Indonesian and a 39-year-old Malaysian - and a 41-year-old Indonesian woman who remained on the boat were later arrested for allegedly entering Singapore illegally.
The police said in a statement on Monday that the coast guard detected an unnumbered fibreglass boat at sea off Eastern Buoy, located off the coast of Changi, at 9.13pm on Sunday.
Shortly after the two men jumped overboard, the Indonesian man swam back to the boat.
The coast guard then intercepted the boat and arrested the two Indonesians on board, the police said.
The Malaysian man, believed to be the boatman, tried to flee by swimming away but was later detained and arrested at sea, off Eastern Buoy.
Preliminary investigations found that the two Indonesians were planning to seek employment in Malaysia by entering the country illegally in the boat steered by the Malaysian man.
The trio were arrested under the Immigration Act for illegally entering Singapore.
The Malaysian is being investigated for smuggling illegal immigrants into Singapore.
They were charged in court yesterday morning.
Anyone found guilty of illegal entry into Singapore can be jailed for up to six months and receive at least three strokes of the cane.
Anyone found guilty of smuggling illegal immigrants can be jailed for two to five years and get at least three strokes of the cane.
Women cannot be caned.
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