‘Additional lines of defence’ to be deployed at Woodlands Checkpoint: DPM Teo

SINGAPORE – The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Police will be deploying mobile crash barriers and tracking vehicles as “additional lines of defence” at the Woodlands Checkpoint to stop suspect vehicles from fleeing the checkpoint, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean in Parliament today (April 14).

These measures to beef up security at the checkpoint come after two separate incidents of a checkpoint breach since January. Yesterday, a Malaysian man was arrested after he attempted to evade immigration clearance at Woodlands Checkpoint.

Mr Teo said that after the first breach, various “immediate measures” were implemented to strengthen the security at the Woodlands Checkpoint. This include tightening the coordination between the ICA and Police and improving the response protocols and conducting drills and exercises to validate the response plans. Supervision of auxiliary police officers have also been enhanced.

He added that other measures such as the installation of additional closed-circuit television cameras and enhanced security barriers are being expedited.

“MHA views each and every single security breach seriously,” Mr Teo said. “If there are gaps and failings in our security regime, be they structural, systemic or individual, we must quickly and thoroughly address them.”

On March 8, a 64-year-old Malaysian delivery driver breached security barriers at the Woodlands Checkpoint while the car boot was being inspected. His escape triggered the activation of the security barrier which failed to stop him from leaving due to a technical fault.

Shedding light on the incident, Mr Teo said that investigations revealed that the security barriers had initially stopped the car but failed to stop it completely. This was because hydraulic fluid had leaked from one of the cylinder seals used for raising and maintaining its position.