9 House Movers and 3 Family Members were Found in a South Korean Man’s Home Serving SHN

As everyone knows, there are three things you can do to avoid serving a stay-home notice (SHN) at a dedicated facility when you arrive in Singapore from abroad:

1. Travel from an approved list of countries
2. Travel from an approved list of countries
3. Don’t travel at all

Yes, there are really only two options. But one man seemed to think a secret fourth option existed:

4. Lie to the government and hope you get away with it

Needless to say, this scheme didn’t end well for him.

9 House Movers and 3 Family Members were Found in a South Korean Man’s Home Serving SHN

Ko Kyung Ho, a Singapore PR from South Korea, arrived in Singapore on 25 Nov last year.

When he arrived, Mr Ko declared that he would be serving his SHN either alone at home or with household members with the same travel history.

The only problem with Mr Ko’s reason for opting out is that it was seemingly crafted out of thin air.

The next day, when enforcement officers went to his home at the Charleston condominium in Shanghai Road for a check, they must have been shocked at what they found.

Officers allegedly discovered three of his family members – his wife and two children – were living in the same unit even though they did not share his travel history.

Worse, nine house movers were also found in the apartment that day, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement.

So, instead of isolating alone like he was supposed to, Mr Ko exposed himself to 12 other people who could have passed the disease to someone else in the community.

Now, you see why the authorities take these rules so seriously. 

And this is why Mr Ko is in a whole heap of trouble now.

Charged With Two Offences, Could Face Further Administrative Actions by ICA & MOM

On Thursday (1 Apr), Mr Ko was charged with two offences under the Infectious Diseases Act for allegedly making a false declaration in his application to opt out of serving his SHN at dedicated facilities.

For each charge, first-time offenders can be imprisoned for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.

Foreigners like Mr Ko, who is a PR, could also face further administrative actions by ICA and/or the Ministry of Manpower, such as the revoking or shortening of permits and passes to stay and work in Singapore.

Featured Image: Google Maps