ISKANDAR PUTERI: A Singaporean man was caught trying to enter Malaysia illegally through the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
Johor Customs Department director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the foreigner is in his 50s and was found hiding inside the boot of a Malaysian-registered car at the complex at around 3.30pm on Dec 13 last year.
“The car was stopped for inspection after it looked a bit heavier at the back. When we opened the car boot, we found a man inside. The man had no travel documents with him during his arrest," said Aminul.
He added that the department’s personnel also detained the two Malaysian females in their 20s for helping him.
“Based on our investigation, the man paid SGD3,000 (RM10,555) to the two local women to bring him over into Malaysia illegally,” he said in a press conference held at Customs Sungai Pulai Enforcement Complex here on Monday (March 4).
Aminul Izmeer added that further investigation found that the male Singaporean had some legal issues in the island republic and could not get a passport.
“All three of them have since been charged at the Johor Baru court under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007.
“The Singaporean man has since served his time in our prison and returned to his home country in the middle of February,” he said.
