ICA triggers police probe after photos & videos of Woodlands Checkpoint officer appear on FB

SINGAPORE: The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has addressed recent social media claims about an incident involving one of its officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint on 12 August.

In a statement issued on Thursday (15 August), the ICA responded to allegations circulating on Facebook, which accused the officer of being rude to a driver during immigration clearance.

Earlier, a post published on the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, described an incident where the ICA officer allegedly asked the driver if they were commenting about him, despite the driver’s claim that the conversation was unrelated.

The post also mentioned that the officer instructed the driver to wind down the window, although it was already down, and that the driver was subsequently taken to the Duty Office.

The netizen who posted the complaint expressed frustration about what they perceived as a waste of time, citing a 30-minute delay caused by the incident.

In response, the ICA stated that its investigation revealed the driver had made inappropriate remarks after being instructed by the officer to remove a sunshade from the right passenger window during departure clearance.

“The driver also took photographs and videos of our officer when the latter was contacting his supervisors to report the incident.”

The ICA confirmed that the driver was referred to the Duty Office and received a stern warning after admitting to taking and agreeing to delete the photographs and videos within the checkpoint premises.

However, the photos and videos were later found to have been uploaded online, prompting the ICA to refer the case to the Police for further investigation.

The ICA reminded the public that checkpoint officers are tasked with safeguarding Singapore’s borders and emphasized the importance of complying with their instructions.

It is also an offence to take photographs or videos within the checkpoint premises, which are designated as a Protected Area, without prior consent from the authorities.

ICA asserted that it will not hesitate to take stern action against those who violate these regulations.

In August 2023, a couple was charged with taking videos inside the Police Cantonment Complex, a protected area under the Infrastructure Protection Act (IPA).

In November 2023, a man faced a charge under the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017 for allegedly using a drone to unlawfully record at least 10 videos of Brani Terminal.

The man was accused of operating a DJI Mini 3 Pro unmanned aircraft to capture images of the commercial port, which is designated as a protected place under Singapore law due to its critical role in international trade as a “gateway to the world.”

Individuals found guilty of such offences can face a fine of up to S$20,000, imprisonment for up to 2 years, or both.