Benz driver crashed through checkpoint

Police last night arrested the driver of a car which crashed through Woodlands Checkpoint.

The Singapore-registered Mercedes-Benz had arrived from Malaysia at about 4.05pm and cleared the immigration check when its driver drove off while undergoing Customs checks.

An officer who attempted to stop him from leaving was injured, police said in a joint statement with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

The vehicle then crashed through the security barrier that was activated and entered Singapore.

All police resources on the ground were alerted. A message was sent to all taxi drivers to help look out for the vehicle.

At 8.30pm, police recovered the golden Mercedes-Benz. They later arrested a 65-year-old man at 9.15pm after an islandwide police operation.

He is under investigation for various offences including evasion of Customs checks and vandalism.

The case comes on the back of a similar incident on Jan 17.

Malaysian teacher Nurul Rohana Ishak, 27, entered Singapore illegally by tailgating a car and slipping past immigration officers at Woodlands Checkpoint.

She was arrested three days later when she entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs compound without authorisation.

A psychiatric assessment later found her to be of unsound mind and unfit to make a plea. She now faces charges including criminal trespass.

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