Drama broke out on the waters off the Punggol coast on Monday night — though it only ended in less than a couple of minutes.
Police revealed yesterday that a 20-year-old Bangladeshi man and a 46-year-old Malaysian boatman were nabbed on Monday for attempting to enter the country illegally through the northern coast of Punggol. The two rode into Singapore waters on a motorized boat, with the Bangladeshi man jumping into the waters upon reaching Punggol Barat and swimming towards the shore. The Malaysian boatman swiftly turned his vessel — an unnumbered fiberglass boat — back to Malaysia.
But the Police Coast Guard (PCG) had already been alerted and chased down the boatman. Despite repeated warnings and flares fires, the Malaysian refused to surrender, prompting a short high-speed chase that ended in the fiberglass boat capsizing. It took less than a minute, really.
The man was arrested, and his boat was seized along with the bundle of cash amounting to RM$3,734 (S$1,252) found in it. The Bangladeshi was nabbed by PCG’s Special Task Squadron, who found him wandering along the fencing surrounding the Punggol Barat coastline.
According to the police, the Malaysian boatman had picked up the Bangladeshi passenger from the shoreline of Johor Bahru. Both will be charged with illegal entry into Singapore, but the boatman will also be investigated for engaging in the business of conveying an illegal immigrant to Singapore.
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