An Imported COVID-19 Case is Linked to a Case of Illegal Entry to S’pore Via a Boat in Oct

On Tuesday (1 Dec), the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 10 new cases of Covid-19.

Two of them were locally transmitted, and 8 were from abroad.

Of the imported cases, one was a special pass holder who entered Singapore from Indonesia and was arrested by the Police Coast Guard.

He wasn’t arrested for having Covid-19, of course. He was apprehended for his “suspected involvement in a prior case.”

Now, we’ve learned that this prior case is much more serious than we thought, as it involved illegal entry into the country.

An Imported COVID-19 Case is Linked to the Case of Illegal Entry to S’pore Via a Boat

According to the police, the 43-year-old Indonesian man is linked to an illegal entry case in October where four men were detected jumping off a boat and swimming to Singapore.

He is suspected to have facilitated the attempt to enter Singapore illegally.

The four men were first detected on Tuas Reclaimed Land at around 8.30pm on 9 Oct by the Police Coast Guard on its surveillance systems.

The surveillance systems showed the group jumping off an unnumbered boat into the waters off Tuas Reclaimed Land before swimming towards the shore.

Unlike Michael Schofield and his brother in Prison Break, however, these guys never made it to the shore.

They were intercepted by officers from various units and arrested within five hours after they were first detected.

A day later, on 10 Oct, all four men were charged with unlawful entry into Singapore.

If convicted, the men face imprisonment for up to six months and a minimum of three strokes of the cane.

As of now, it’s unclear how the 43-year-old Indonesian man helped these four offenders with their attempt to enter Singapore illegally.

Officers Quarantined After Being in Contact With Suspect

The Indonesian was arrested on 29 Nov for his suspected involvement, and tested positive for Covid-19 on the same day.

“The police were notified of his test result, and assisted the Ministry of Health with contact tracing efforts,” the police said.

Since some officers were in close contact with the Indonesian suspect, they have been quarantined and asked to monitor their health.

The police added that in accordance with the National Environment Agency’s guidelines, areas the man had been to have also been disinfected thoroughly.

It’s for this reason that officers have been equipped with personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and disposable gowns, when deployed for operational duties.

Apart from the Indonesian man, seven imported cases were reported on Tuesday.

They include a work pass holder from Japan and five work permit holders from Indonesia and Myanmar.

The remaining case was a one-year-old boy who arrived from Russia. He is a long-term visit pass holder and a contact of a previous case.

Featured Image: Singapore Police Force