JOHOR BARU: Cordial ties between both sides of the Causeway were evident when border control officers exchanged delicacies and goodies in conjunction with Hari Raya.
The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) specially packed lemang, kuih and peanut gravy for Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) personnel.
ICA officers reciprocated by sending Hari Raya hampers to their Malaysian counterparts in BSI.
Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex AKPS assistant commander (control) Vimala Ramalinggam handed over the festive goodies to ICA representatives on the first and second day of Hari Raya at the Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore.
Over here, some 300 AKPS and Rela personnel stationed at BSI were also treated to satay and lemang on Saturday.
“We wanted to share the spirit of Hari Raya with the personnel on duty during the festivity. Many of my officers wore their Raya attire on the first day as they reported for work at the counters.
“Unlike previous years, this Hari Raya was particularly busy as BSI was operating at full capacity due to the Singapore holiday period,” she said, adding that things went smoothly at the BSI checkpoint.
Meanwhile, AKPS detained 17 people, including three Malaysians and two Singaporeans, for various immigration offences on Monday.
In a statement, it said the other foreigners comprised 11 Indonesians and an Egyptian. All were detained for entering the BSI area without proper travel documents. The Malaysians were drivers ferrying the foreigners. AKPS seized four vehicles for investigations.
In an unrelated case, a Malaysian and Singaporean were arrested separately at the land checkpoints by ICA for attempting to smuggle drugs worth S$2mil (RM6mil) into Singapore.
ICA said in the first case, on March 17, the 29-year-old Malaysian man was arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs, including about 14kg of heroin, through the Tuas Checkpoint.
A total of 25 bundles believed to contain controlled drugs were found.
On March 18, a 29-year-old Singaporean who was a passenger in a Malaysia-registered vehicle was arrested for attempting to smuggle in 81gm of cannabis through the Woodlands Checkpoint.
