Singaporean driver, 2 passengers charged after allegedly smashing through Tuas Checkpoint lanes, injuring ICA officer

SINGAPORE — A driver and his two passengers were charged in court on Saturday (April 9) after they allegedly smashed their way through automated motorcycle clearance lanes at Tuas Checkpoint, injuring an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer.

The Singaporean driver — identified in court documents as Teo Thiam Leng, 46 — was wanted by the police and Central Narcotics Bureau, the ICA said in a news release previously.

On Saturday, court documents revealed that Teo had allegedly conspired with two others to import methamphetamine into Singapore in 2016, and had also allegedly abetted a Singaporean to smuggle the drug across the Causeway that year.

He presently faces one charge each of dangerous driving causing hurt under the Road Traffic Act, and conspiring to import a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The two passengers in his car — Chinese national Chen Song Qing, 35, and Ho Thi My Nhung, 31, a Vietnamese — were each charged with criminal trespass under the Penal Code.

Teo was driving a Malaysia-registered car while heading into Singapore in the wee hours of Friday.

He allegedly evaded clearance at Malaysia’s immigrations facility, Komplex Sultan Abu Bakar, at about 2.15am and sped towards Tuas Checkpoint while being pursued by Malaysia’s traffic police, the ICA said in its statement.

The car was spotted by an auxiliary police officer who was deployed at the entrance of Tuas Checkpoint and he immediately activated an alarm, which led to a lockdown of the checkpoint.

“To circumvent the lockdown, the driver attempted to force his way into Singapore through the automated motorcycle clearance lanes. However, the lanes were too narrow and the vehicle was incapacitated after crashing into the counters,” ICA added.

Court documents showed that Teo had allegedly reversed his vehicle and collided with ICA officer Nur Asri Abdul Rahman, who suffered an abrasion on his right ankle.

Chen and Ho then apparently tried to flee on foot but were intercepted by auxiliary police officers who had responded to the incident. Ho sustained injuries from a fall while trying to escape.

The pair purportedly did not have valid travel documents and were detained. Teo was later found to be carrying a Singapore passport that had allegedly been tampered with.

All three were detained by ICA officers for failing to stop for arrival immigration clearance at the checkpoint as well as for other offences. A preliminary urine test indicated that Teo tested positive for drugs.

DRUG TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY

On Saturday, Teo was charged with conspiring with someone identified as Er Lin Cheng and an unknown person in Malaysia to import at least 33.34g of methamphetamine into Singapore in 2016.

As part of the conspiracy, Teo allegedly abetted a Singaporean man, identified as Irwan, to import at least 49.54g of methamphetamine on the evening of June 20 that year at Woodlands Checkpoint at about 10pm.

Court documents also showed that in 2007, Teo was jailed five years and given five strokes of the cane for trafficking in a controlled drug, ketamine. He is thus liable for enhanced punishment under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

It remains unclear how he knew Ho and Chen, who are accused of unlawfully entering a motorcycle zone at the arrival area of Tuas Checkpoint on Friday morning. 

On Saturday, all three appeared in court via a video-link. Chen is currently hospitalised in Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

District Judge Carolyn Woo granted a police prosecutor's request for them to be remanded at Woodlands Police Division headquarters for one week for further investigations, with the prosecutor saying they will be taken back to the scene.

They will return to court on April 14.

Those convicted of dangerous driving causing hurt can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$10,000, or punished with both.

If convicted of importing a controlled drug, Teo could be jailed for at least 10 years and up to 30 years, and given at least 10 strokes of the cane.

Those convicted of criminal trespass can be jailed for up to three months or fined up to S$1,500, or both.