Police Warning and PR Applicaiton

[msabd1]

I was caught by police officers who acts as if they are waiting for me outside my office , as soon as I stepped out of my office they checked my belongings. Three sticks of cigarettes ( duty unpaid) was given to me by my ex-classmate and I was caught with it. However I was let off with a warning.

When I asked them will it go into their records, they said yes but its nothing to worry about as it is just a "warning record" and not a criminal record.

I am worried since I know that ICA do run background checks for PR Applications and I am afraid this will have serious implications on me no matter what assurance the police gave me.

And for your information it is a MRT police and not a normal policeman. and they seem like they are serving their national service they look so young.

My question is does anyone of you have similar experience ( police warning) and managed to get PR?
Or should I just move on and move to another country?

I see no point staying here if I am never gonna become a PR.

Please advice and thank you so much in advance!

[nakatago]

What else can you do?

[sundaymorningstaple]

[zzm9980]

I was caught by police officers who acts as if they are waiting for me outside my office , as soon as I stepped out of my office they checked my belongings. Three sticks of cigarettes ( duty unpaid) was given to me by my ex-classmate and I was caught with it. However I was let off with a warning.

When I asked them will it go into their records, they said yes but its nothing to worry about as it is just a "warning record" and not a criminal record.

I am worried since I know that ICA do run background checks for PR Applications and I am afraid this will have serious implications on me no matter what assurance the police gave me.

And for your information it is a MRT police and not a normal policeman. and they seem like they are serving their national service they look so young.

My question is does anyone of you have similar experience ( police warning) and managed to get PR?
Or should I just move on and move to another country?

I see no point staying here if I am never gonna become a PR.

Please advice and thank you so much in advance!

Three "sticks" of cigarettes? Are those individual cigarettes? or a carton?
(And how do they know duty was unpaid?)

Either way, you probably looked like an undesirable and wouldn't have gotten a PR anyway. I suspect the police don't harrass those that fit MOM's flavor of the year profile. Sorry bud.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I was caught by police officers who acts as if they are waiting for me outside my office , as soon as I stepped out of my office they checked my belongings. Three sticks of cigarettes ( duty unpaid) was given to me by my ex-classmate and I was caught with it. However I was let off with a warning.

When I asked them will it go into their records, they said yes but its nothing to worry about as it is just a "warning record" and not a criminal record.

I am worried since I know that ICA do run background checks for PR Applications and I am afraid this will have serious implications on me no matter what assurance the police gave me.

And for your information it is a MRT police and not a normal policeman. and they seem like they are serving their national service they look so young.

My question is does anyone of you have similar experience ( police warning) and managed to get PR?
Or should I just move on and move to another country?

I see no point staying here if I am never gonna become a PR.

Please advice and thank you so much in advance!

Three "sticks" of cigarettes? Are those individual cigarettes? or a carton?
(And how do they know duty was unpaid?)

Either way, you probably looked like an undesirable and wouldn't have gotten a PR anyway. I suspect the police don't harrass those that fit MOM's flavor of the year profile. Sorry bud.

For the record, all cigarettes in Singapore have SDPC on each cigarette just above the filter.....


http://singapore-the-fine-city.blogspot ... ettes.html

Besides a must law for health warning labels on cigarettes package, Singapore implemented yet another new law, passed down on 1st January 2009. Each individual stick of cigarette will be marked with "SDPC", which is short form for Singapore Duty Paid Cigarettes. Anyone who is caught in possession, buying or selling cigarettes without SDPC mark will be deem as committing an offence under Singapore's Customs and GST Acts.

[msabd1]

Well I guess what caught their attention was I was wearing casual clothes ( i changed after work) and it was three sticks that my friend passed to me. Hmm if anyone has experience do post your answers and meanwhile i shall start packing my bags before my contract ends. Thanks for the replies anyway

[Mad Scientist]

Well I guess what caught their attention was I was wearing casual clothes ( i changed after work) and it was three sticks that my friend passed to me. Hmm if anyone has experience do post your answers and meanwhile i shall start packing my bags before my contract ends. Thanks for the replies anyway

Don't worry about it just apply. You do not know if you didn't apply
Ok you screw up on one sh*t but that is not the end of your life here.
I see nothing major. Relax

[msabd1]

Thanks for the reply Mad Scientist. Finally some optimistic view. I got friends who are police and 80% told me not to worry but I am quite negative thinking to be honest. I dunno where else I can move since I feel so at home here already. And the sad part is those cigarettes are given to me and not as if I smuggled them.

Anymore feedbacks are greatly appreciated have a good weekend everyone

[ecureilx]

Thanks for the reply Mad Scientist. Finally some optimistic view. I got friends who are police and 80% told me not to worry but I am quite negative thinking to be honest. I dunno where else I can move since I feel so at home here already. And the sad part is those cigarettes are given to me and not as if I smuggled them.

Anymore feedbacks are greatly appreciated have a good weekend everyone

well, how did you come up with this 80% probability thing ??

Anyway, whether you smuggled them, or picked them up from the street, or found them or a friend gave it .. the law is straightforward.

you were in possession of duty unpaid cigerettes ..

Same like having drugs but saying you didn't smuggle them or buy them ..

Hence, for me, as an occasional smoker, when somebody offers me a cigerette, if the packs doesn't have the warning sign, I plainly refuse with excuses like "don't like that brand" or .. "I only smoke x brand .. " ..

because one too many times, I have seen friends being pulled aside and checked for duty unpaid smokes, and with the new rule that every stick must have the label, when I see guys pulling cigerettes from cigerette cases, rather than risking a fine or more, i just refuse

Oh, MS is right ... and if your crime was as serious as you are worrying, you will be Changi or Kaki Bukit ... !!! and Not posting on this forum ..

[msabd1]

What I mean by the 80% thing is majority of my friends who are policemen said it wont affect my PR application but still I am worried after the incident whether it is still worth investing on my future here

[sundaymorningstaple]

The only thing wrong with the 80% figure is the fact that the police have absolutely nothing to do with ICA. But ICA can access the Police database to check for behaviour that may not be becoming to a new citizen/PR. Again, it's all a matter of degree. And this degree thing is what the gahmen like to keep close to their collective chests. They can turn up or turn down the temperature as they wish, depending on the wishes of their overlords.

[aster]

Three "sticks" of cigarettes? Are those individual cigarettes? or a carton?

Seems a bit strange to write "three sticks of cigarettes" instead of just "three cigarettes," so I'm still wondering what the OP meant.

Three cartons would surely not have been treated just as a warning though, right?

[JR8]

Three "sticks" of cigarettes? Are those individual cigarettes? or a carton?

Seems a bit strange to write "three sticks of cigarettes" instead of just "three cigarettes," so I'm still wondering what the OP meant.

Three cartons would surely not have been treated just as a warning though, right?

This is what the locals call them, in their fumbling and inarticulate patois.

3 'sticks' = 3 cigarettes

[ecureilx]

Three "sticks" of cigarettes? Are those individual cigarettes? or a carton?

Seems a bit strange to write "three sticks of cigarettes" instead of just "three cigarettes," so I'm still wondering what the OP meant.

Three cartons would surely not have been treated just as a warning though, right?

This is what the locals call them, in their fumbling and inarticulate patois.

3 'sticks' = 3 cigarettes

And the outsourced teams doing checking don't differentiate between 1 stick and one box or one carton .. all get fined !!!!

Oh, they removed the 'escape' clause, when coming in from Malaysia via land check point, where they ignored if you have on box, as long as it was opened. Now even one box or less gets confiscated ..

[aster]

Oh, they removed the 'escape' clause, when coming in from Malaysia via land check point, where they ignored if you have on box, as long as it was opened. Now even one box or less gets confiscated ..

Does the ok for an open pack still apply to tourists coming in by plane? I don't smoke, but I recall hearing about how this is ok.

On a side note, they will wave you through if you have an open pack of chewing gum.