The Straits Times Sep 12, 2009
By Khushwant Singh
IN THE first case of its kind, a Chinese national has been
jailed for three years for selling counterfeit postage stamps. The
fake stamps were discovered on parcels by Singapore Post in
November last year, a district court heard on Friday.
The police were called in and in May this year, got a tip-off
which led to the arrest of Andrew Heung Kwok Hung, 44, at the Ramla
Department Store in Bras Basah Complex.
He was the point man for an international syndicate selling the
fake stamps, allegedly to Chew Kia Juat, the store's 70-year-old
owner. Chew has not been dealt with.
According to court papers, Heung was hired by a man in his 40s,
known only as Ah Chan and believed to be a resident of Hong
Kong.
The men first came to Singapore together in January 2007, where
Heung got to know Chew, who would order the fake stamps and make
payment through him.
Between then and when he was caught, Heung met Chew on at least
18 occasions, collecting up to $20,000 each time. In early May,
Chew placed his last order for 3,000 pieces of counterfeit $1
postage stamps and 1,000 pieces of the $2 variety at a cost of
$3,750.
The fakes were sent from Shenzhen in China, through parcel
delivery service Speedpost. A few days later, Heung flew in to
collect his payment and was nabbed at Chew's store.
A check by authorised printer Cartor Security Printing of France
confirmed that the 4,000 stamps seized did not have the security
markings of genuine stamps.
Asking the court to impose a deterrent sentence, Deputy Public
Prosecutor Nor'ashikin Samdin said Heung had committed serious
fraud on the authorities.
Since an international syndicate was involved, the punishment
meted out to Heung must be sufficiently severe to deter other
foreigners, as well as citizens here, from even thinking about
carrying out such crimes, she added.
