The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a joint news release on Wednesday that a 21-year-old man was arrested together with a 16-year-old boy for entering Singapore illegally. The authority also added that the man was sentenced to six weeks or jail tern including four strokes of cane.
As per the authority, the man addressed as Erpendi and the teenager were discovered at sea on a sampan off East Coast Park. They added that the pair were heading towards Singapore at around 10.45 pm on February 10.
Soon, the Police Coast Guard arrested them under the Immigration Act for entering Singapore illegally. Police and ICA state that the unnamed boy was given a stern warning in lieu of prosecution.
As per the news release the police and ICA stated, "Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security."
"We will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints and our maritime border to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband," they further added.
The Immigration Act stated that,
"Unlawful entry or presence in Singapore"
A person shall not remain in Singapore after the cancellation of any permit or certificate or after the making of a declaration under section 14(4) or after the expiration or notification to him, in such manner as may be prescribed, of the cancellation of any pass relating to or issued to him unless he is otherwise entitled or authorised to remain in Singapore under the provisions of this Act or the regulations.
Any person who contravenes, without reasonable cause, this section shall be guilty of an offence and-
- in the case where he remains unlawfully for a period not exceeding 90 days, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $4,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both;
- in the case where he remains unlawfully for a period exceeding 90 days, shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months and shall also, subject to sections 325(1) and 330(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, be punished with caning with not less than 3 strokes, or where by virtue of that section he is not punishable with caning, he shall, in lieu of caning, be punished with a fine not exceeding $6,000.
