Human smuggling syndicate busted

The Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have smashed a human smuggling syndicate.

It started at 9.45pm on July 17, when PCG and ICA officers checked on a vessel in the waters off Jurong Port and found a Sri Lankan man hiding inside a wooden crate.

Seven Indonesian men were arrested for trying to smuggle him from Singapore to Batam, Indonesia.

Singaporean Kassim Sahak, 55, was arrested for transporting the immigrant offender in a lorry onto the craft.

All nine men were charged in court on July 19.

On Aug 2, the immigration offender, Rasnayaka Mudiyanselage Manjula Bandara, 28, was jailed a month for unlawful departure. He was also given another three months' jail and given six strokes of the cane for overstaying here.

By Sept 23, all seven Indonesians were convicted.

Each was jailed two years and given three strokes of the cane.

Rahman Bada, one of the seven, was also jailed another four years for contravening a prohibition entry order.

Last week, the last man involved, Kassim was jailed two years and nine months.

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