Two Police Coast Guard (PCG) officers had been killed
and an unknown number of illegal immigrants gone missing after the
boats which the PCG officers and the illegal immigrants were in
respectively collided at the sea off Tuas last night. The two PCG
officers killed in the line of duty are Station Inspector Mohd
Khalid Bin Muhamad and Staff Sergeant Heah Khim Han. Their bodies
were retrieved this morning at about 8.15am after an intensive
search and rescue operation involving the PCG, naval divers,
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, as well as the Royal
Malaysia Police (Marine Police) throughout the night. Two other
fellow crew mates on board the same PCG boat had been rescued.
Three illegal immigrants had also been rescued, together with the
recovery of a body of a fourth illegal immigrant.
Two PCG boats, manned by four officers each, were performing ambush
duties in Singapore Territorial Waters (STW) off Tuas on 13 Apr 07.
At about 9.30 pm, a speed boat with about six persons on board
illegally intruded into STW. The two PCG boats gave chase. In the
course of the pursuit, there was a collision between one of the PCG
boats and the intruding vessel. As a result, one of the PCG boats
as well as the speed boat capsized. The remaining PCG boat
immediately summoned for assistance and proceeded to conduct search
and rescue.
Two of the PCG officers from the capsized PCG boat were rescued
from the sea. They suffered minor injuries. The remaining two
officers went missing. Their bodies were recovered this morning at
about 8.15am. Three persons on the intruding vessel had also been
rescued and the body of one of them was recovered.
The two PCG officers killed in the incident are Station Inspector
(SI) Mohd Khalid Bin Muhamad and Staff Sergeant Heah Khim Han. SI
Mohd Khalid Bin Muhamad joined the SPF in 1986 and S/Sgt Heah Khim
Han joined the SPF in 2001.
Investigations are in progress and the search operation for the
remaining missing persons is still ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Khoo Boon Hui, is saddened by the
death of the two officers, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of our
two dedicated officers who had sacrificed their lives for the
security of Singapore. My officers and I send our condolences to
the families of our two heroes and we will do everything possible
to assist them to overcome these very traumatic and difficult
times."
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
14 April 2007 @ 2.15pm
---------------------------
These men died bravely while serving our nation.
They deserve the respect.
RIP.
salutes.
