SINGAPORE (ANN/The Straits Times) – An Australian man who reached Singapore on December 14, 2024, was discovered to possess multiple illegal items in his luggage, such as knuckle dusters and flick knives.
El Sayed Aladdin, 28, subsequently became verbally aggressive and hurled offensive remarks at Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport when they told him that the issue would be passed on to the police for further investigations.
The authorities confiscated his passport to prevent him from exiting the country during the ongoing investigations.
However, Aladdin attempted to exit Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint on December 28, utilising another person’s passport. ICA officers apprehended him and filed charges on December 30.
On February 21, Aladdin was sentenced to eight months and two weeks in jail, along with a SGD6,500 fine, after he pleaded guilty to using an unauthorised passport – an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to SGD10,000, or both – and to insulting or verbally abusing public officials, which could have resulted in up to 12 months in jail, a maximum fine of SGD5,000, or both.
On February 21, ICA stated: “The authorities take a serious view of persons who obstruct public servants from carrying out their duties. We will also not tolerate any form of abusive behaviour towards our officers and will take stern action against the offenders. Our officers deployed at the checkpoints are carrying out their duties to safeguard Singapore’s borders. Travellers are reminded to cooperate and comply with their instructions.”
