Apr 14, 2011
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Singapore police have arrested a Chinese national on suspicion of masterminding the illegal passage of Chinese nationals into the city-state.
Wu Feng Xia, 42, is allegedly linked to 200 illegal immigrants arrested in the past five years in Singapore, The Straits Times reported on Thursday.
He is being detained without trial under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, which is used mainly as a last resort in cases where witnesses refused to testify openly for fear of retaliation, according to the daily.
Wu was believed to be the biggest kingpin ever caught for human smuggling and was conservatively estimated to have had a hand in three out of every 10 illegal immigrants caught in Singapore, where 700 have been caught sneaking in by sea over the last five years.
The daily newspaper quoted Police Coast Guard Commander Teo Kian Teck as saying that Wu "is like a wholesaler. Those arrested previously? they are in fact, retailers to him."
Human smugglers arrested in the past were mainly Malaysians helming "front-line" syndicates that harbor illegal immigrants in Johor on the southern tip state of peninsular Malaysia, before putting them on boat runs across a small channel to Singapore.
Police compiled a file on Wu more than two years ago and had collected enough evidence to secure an arrest warrant in March 2010. He was arrested with Malaysian police help on landing on February 16 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and was brought to Singapore.
Wu allegedly operated out of Putian in China's Fujian province, supplying illegal immigrants. He charged between 15,000 yuan (2,295 US dollars) and 20,000 yuan (3,061 US dollars) to help illegal immigrant enter Singapore.
Source: Singapore arrests alleged human-smuggling kingpin - Times LIVE
Google Chrome
--- E. Fermi (1901-1954)
Linear Mode
