Convictions for bogus marriages soar to 284

SINGAPORE - A crackdown on sham marriages by the immigration authorities netted 284 convictions last year - more than treble the 89 people convicted in 2012.

The dramatic stepping up of enforcement action coincided with far tougher penalties of up to 10 years in prison applying to these bogus unions.

Typically, marriages of convenience here involve foreign women whose "I do" really means "I do want to live in Singapore".

And for the Singaporean man, it is a case of "I do ...want some easy money" for taking part in the immigration scam.

Middlemen who arrange these unions are also liable under the law.

The data for last year was provided by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to The Straits Times last week.

The ICA said: "We take a serious view of individuals trying to circumvent our system by engaging in marriages of convenience to obtain immigration facilities."

The women in these marriages are usually from China, Vietnam or India, and want to enter Singapore or extend their stays here. The couples usually do not live together, and in some cases, do not even know each other's names.

Many go through middlemen, who could be Singaporeans or foreigners, with some working in syndicates.

The bogus bridegrooms can get paid thousands for their role in the scam. Meanwhile, the women look for jobs as masseuses and karaoke lounge hostesses, for example.

Last year was the first full year since tougher laws against sham marriage offences were enacted, to "send a strong deterrent signal and better enable the ICA to definitively deal with those who try to abuse the system" and to "stay ahead of the changing modus operandi of immigration offenders".

Previously, sham marriage cases came under Section 57(1)(k) of the Immigration Act, which deals with the making of false statements and carries a maximum penalty of a $4,000 fine and a one-year jail term.

The new laws, under Section 57C of the Act, deal with sham marriages entered into on or after Dec 19, 2012, and carry a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and a 10-year jail term.

Of the 284 cases last year, 124 of them came under Section 57C and 160 under Section 57(1)(k).

On its investigation techniques, the ICA referred only to "detailed background assessments and thorough investigations".

However, Tan See Swan & Co lawyer Tan Hee Joek suspects the ICA relies heavily on tip-offs.

He said: "It is quite difficult to know whether a marriage is genuine or sham unless they are alerted. After all, it is a very private matter between manand woman."

In the first four months of this year, the number of convictions fell to 56 - 23 under Section 57C and another 33 under Section 57(1)(k).

The figure is only 20 per cent of last year's total but for a period covering a third of the year.

But some observers note it might still be too early to say if the drop-off in numbers necessarily means the laws are having the intended deterrent effect.

Mr Tan said: "It takes time for the impact of sentencing effects to be felt, which might explain the 2013 spike.

"As time goes by and there are more reports of heavier penalties imposed on these kind of offences, more people may be deterred from sham marriages.

"But the profile of the male offenders who provide the supply are usually less-educated about the laws, and would risk doing this type of thing for the money."

Lawyer Sunil Sudheesan, from RHTLaw Taylor Wessing, added: "While it could be a case of them choosing not to engage for fear of the law, it could also be a case of a lot of people not getting caught."

ICA acknowledged the need to protect the sanctity of marriage, and said it works closely with the Manpower Ministry and Social and Family Development Ministry, as well as the Registry of Marriages to investigate cases.

In highlighting some cases, the ICA said it wished to send a strong deterrent message to potential abusers.

A spokesman said: "Getting involved in sham marriages for the money and/or gratification is not worth it as they will have criminal records for life."

Married on the day they met

On the eve of Valentine's Day last year, local odd-job worker Tan Hee Huat met Chinese national Huang Liyun for the first time.

That very day, they got hitched in a no-frills solemnisation ceremony at a ground-floor Housing Board flat in North Bridge Road.

The quick-fire wedding was arranged for the sole purpose of giving Huang, 41, a leg up in prolonging her stay here so that she could secure a job.

Their "matchmaker", Singaporean Soh Leong Soon, 62, who also goes by the alias Sim Kok Eng, attended the ceremony.

In September 2012, Soh had given Tan the idea of entering into a sham marriage as a quick way to make money, after the 53-year-old confided that he was short of cash.

As part of the deal, Tan agreed to sponsor his future wife's visit pass applications and subsequent extensions.

He was promised $2,000 as a reward.

Two months later, Soh met Huang when she came to Singapore, and convinced her to enter the marriage for $8,000.

After the Feb 13 ceremony last year, the newly-weds did not consummate their marriage, nor did they live together at Tan's Circuit Road home.

The authorities were not fooled. The couple were nabbed five months later at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority Building, which they were believed to have been visiting to renew Huang's visit pass.

Tan and Huang were each jailed for six months. For arranging the sham marriage, Soh was sentenced to eight months in jail.

Web of middlemen behind bogus union

The complex web that can lead to a bogus marriage is clear from the union of Vietnamese national Dang Thi Hoang, 28, and Singaporean Soh Chin Chai, 38.

Dang was eager to secure a job here in February last year so she approached her Vietnamese friend Yen, when she was still in Vietnam, for help.

Yen - whose identity has not been established by the authorities - suggested that she could get married to a Singaporean man.

The man, Yen had said, would sponsor her visit pass applications to enable her to prolong her stay here to secure employment.

Dang said yes, and flew to Singapore the same month to meet Yen's contact, a Vietnamese woman known to the authorities only as Ngoc, at a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.

Ngoc told Dang that she would not need to have sex or live with the Singaporean, and could make all the necessary arrangements for a price of $7,500.

The same month, Soh, whose occupation is unknown, had approached Singapore citizen Tan Wee Choon, 39, for financial help.

Tan, who goes by the nickname "San Pien", proposed that Soh enter a sham marriage, introducing him to yet another intermediary, a Vietnamese woman by the name of Angau.

Angau told Soh that he would earn $2,700 as part of the deal, and $400 for each successful visit pass application. Tan was paid $500 for recommending Soh.

Soh first met his future wife in a meeting arranged by the intermediaries at the coffee shop. On March 26 last year, they exchanged their vows at Inspired By Luv Cafe in Fort Canning.

The couple were arrested six months later. Soh was jailed for six months, while Dang, also convicted of making false statements on official documents, was jailed for eight months. Tan was jailed for nine months.

The whereabouts of Yen, Ngoc and Angau are unknown.

waltsim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 26, 2014.
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