Human-smuggling ring busted

SINGAPORE - A human-smuggling syndicate was smashed through a joint operation involving the Police Coast Guard and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

The Coast Guard and ICA had caught a Sri Lankan immigration offender on a sea craft off Jurong Port on July 17.

Seven Indonesians were later arrested for attempting to smuggle the offender from Singapore to Batam, Indonesia.

Within 20 hours of the operation, 55-year-old Singaporean Kassim Sahak, who had transported the immigration offender in a lorry onto the craft, was also arrested.

Last Wednesday, he was convicted of engaging in the business of conveying a prohibited immigrant from Singapore unlawfully. Two other similar charges were taken into consideration.

He was jailed for two years and nine months.

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