Authorities nab 36 M'sians, 1 S'porean in crackdown on illegal Causeway shortcut
Authorities nabbed 37 in a crackdown on people using a shortcut to bypass immigration to get to Singapore.
The Johor Immigration Department conducted a three-hour operation on Friday (June 26) to nab those who used a shortcut to bypass the Johor Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
The operation was conducted from 5 am to 8 am, reported The Star Online.
Of the 37 detained, 36 are Malaysians and one is Singaporean.
On Thursday, The Star had reported that some Malaysians were sneaking past the CIQ by taking a route that passes the railway lines behind the Causeway or a construction site, before taking them to Woodlands Checkpoint.
While most of those using the shortcut apparently possessed valid Singapore work permits, some were avoiding the CIQ as they had been barred from leaving the country, for reasons such as bankruptcy.
Others wanted to beat the early morning jam on the Johor side.
According to The Star, the bypassing of Malaysian immigration would not be detected on the Singapore side for several reasons - the Malaysian passport is electronic and does not need to be stamped, and the databases of the immigration authorities on both sides are not linked.
The immigration department said it will monitor exit points around the clock.
Source: The Star Online
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