Jail and cane for fugitive who crashed car into Tuas Checkpoint

SINGAPORE — High on drugs, a 48-year-old fugitive wanted in Singapore for drug offences crashed his car at Tuas Checkpoint in April 2022 after being chased by Malaysian authorities across the Second Link.

After crashing the car, Teo Thiam Leng, who is Singaporean, reversed the vehicle into an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer, injuring the latter.

On March 5, Teo was sentenced to six years and 10 months' jail and three strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to eight charges.

His proceeded charges include dangerous driving causing hurt, vandalism, driving without a valid driving licence, possession of a forged Singapore driving licence, failure to comply with directions given by officers in a protected area and theft of a motor vehicle.

Teo has been disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for five years after his release from prison.

The court heard that Teo absconded from Singapore in November 2017 by hiding in the back of a car while out on court bail. He had been facing a charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act then.

Shortly before the crash on April 8, 2022, he was in Malaysia ferrying two passengers in a car when he spotted a Malaysian police car with its blinking lights on around 2am.

He sped off, thinking that the officers wanted to check on him as he was intoxicated at the time. The Malaysian police gave chase, repeatedly using loud hailers to ask him to stop, but he refused.

Teo drove past Malaysia's toll and checkpoint counters and into the motorcycle arrival zone at Tuas Checkpoint. There, he disregarded calls to stop and crashed the vehicle into a barrier.

ICA officers rushed towards the car, but Teo continued to drive dangerously back and forth, crashing the car into metal barriers, kiosks and structures in the motorcycle zone.

Teo's two passengers — Vietnamese Ho Thi My Nhung, 33, and Chinese national Chen Songqing, 37 — got out of the car and were instructed by ICA officers to stay put. But they fled on foot while the officers were focused on stopping Teo's car.

As a result of the incident, Tuas Checkpoint Complex was locked down from 2.15am to 2.53am that day.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Lee said more than 15 law enforcement officers were activated to deal with the incident, adding that Teo's actions caused nearly $93,000 in damage to property at Tuas Checkpoint.

All three were later arrested and charged in court. Chen and Nhung were each sentenced to five weeks' jail in May 2022 after pleading guilty to one count of criminal trespass.

The ICA officer who was knocked to the ground by Teo's car suffered bruises and abrasions, and was given three days' medical leave.

When he was arrested, Teo was found with a fake Singapore passport and driving licence. He had paid RM300 (S$85) for the forged documents, which he used when travelling within Malaysia.

He was found to have consumed methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, on the day of the accident. He admitted to consuming the drug two to three times a week over the past few years.

Teo also pleaded guilty to stealing a car on Jan 31, 2017, in Singapore, which was recovered undamaged 10 days later.

Seeking a jail term of seven to eight years, DPP Lee said that Teo's car was operating in close proximity to multiple immigration officers, and it was fortuitous that no other officer was hurt by his reckless driving.

For dangerous driving causing hurt, an offender can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to two years.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.