Elderly man gets jail term for human trafficking role

By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 17 June 2011 2059 hrs

channelnewsasia.com  Singapore News

SINGAPORE: For a reward of about S$5,500, Teo Tua Ter, 68, played a part in a human trafficking syndicate that involved children and which had established links with  China and the United States. On Friday, a district court sentenced Teo to eight months' jail for cheating an airline  ticketing staff. The syndicate helped children from China leave for the US through Singapore using  fraudulently-obtained Singapore passports. Teo had cheated a ticketing staff at Changi Airport Terminal 1 on 12 November 2005. He duped the officer into believing that a China boy, who was with him, was a Singaporean. She processed the boy's boarding pass which bore a Singaporean's name on it. The court was told that it is likely to be easier for Singaporeans to obtain visas to the US compared to China nationals. The China children would come to Singapore with their own genuine passports before entering  the United States with forged Singapore ones. Teo, a Singaporean, had worked with two accomplices, 50-year-old Choo Geok Lian and  55-year-old Chia Ann Hui. Both Choo and Chia were already dealt with in court in 2006. Choo, who was the syndicate's main liaison person, had recruited people she knew to be part of the scam. They then used their children's particulars to apply for Singapore passports as well as  visas on behalf of the China children. Teo was instructed by the syndicate to act as the boy's relative to accompany the youngster on his trip to the United States. After obtaining the boarding passes, Teo entered the airport's transit area alone while Chia  brought the boy to Terminal 2 to supposedly board a flight for Kuala Lumpur. There, Chia gave the ticketing staff the boy's original passport before obtaining the boarding  passes and clearing immigration. By doing this, records would show that the youngster had legitimately entered and left Singapore with his own passport. Chia then brought the youngster to Terminal 1 to meet up with Teo. Teo and the boy then boarded the flight to Honolulu. Choo was caught on 22 November 2005 for trying to bring a ten-year-old China girl out of  Singapore with a fake passport. Through investigations, the authorities found out that 28 people, including Teo and Chia, were  part of the syndicate. Teo was only caught last year when he came back to Singapore from Australia. In mitigation, his lawyer R S Wijaya had told the court that Teo is in poor health and is suffering  from ailments such as diabetes, eczema as well as hypertension. District Judge Wong Choon Ning however said that he could forward his medical documents to  the prison so that the authorities could monitor his health when he is behind bars. - CNA/ir