SINGAPORE: Three Malaysians on a sampan were arrested by Singapore’s Police Coast Guard for illegally entering the Republic’s north-western territorial waters, said the police on April 19.
The trio’s boat was sighted by patrolling coast guard officers on April 18 at about 2.05pm near Pulau Sarimbun, a small island within Singapore’s waters, said the police.
When the officers closed in to check on the sampan, the vessel sped off towards Malaysia, said the police.
As it was being pursued by coast guard officers, the sampan made dangerous manoeuvres and collided with the police boat twice before it was stopped.
Two of the Malaysians also fell overboard but managed to get back on their sampan during the chase which happened entirely within Singapore’s territorial waters, said the police, adding that one coast guard officer suffered minor injuries during the pursuit.
The three men between the ages of 28 and 47 were arrested for illegal entry with their sampan seized by Singapore’s coast guard.
The 28-year-old boatman is also being investigated for an additional offence of rash navigation and failing to comply with an order to stop the boat.
Police investigations are ongoing. - The Straits Times/ANN
