controlled 80 per cent of the market and is
said to have tried to sneak at least 1,000
illegal immigrants into Singapore by sea since
1997.

He became known as the man to go to for a
'foolproof' way of sneaking into Singapore.

Following his arrest, the late-night
activities at sea came almost to a standstill.
But since July, at least 10 illegals have been
plucked out of the water.

The uncle-nephew team were behind this.

Peddling durians from the back of a vehicle
was not enough for the duo, especially since Sau
Soon was a compulsive gambler who bet heavily on
soccer matches.

They were initiated into the syndicate by Ah
Chai in 2002, when his business was booming.

Initially, the pair ran simple errands such as
buying food for the customers.

But they soon moved up the ranks to become his
right-hand men, arranging for customers'
accommodationat cheap hotels or lodging houses
and driving them to the beaches where they would
start their swim to Singapore.

When Ah Chai was arrested, Sau Soon and Hock
Ann went into hiding. But once the storm died
down, they started using Ah Chai's reputation and
their own contacts.

Their business strategy was as unscrupulous as
Ah Chai's.

Charging about $1,000 a customer, they would
house them in a cheap hotel or lodging house for
a few days.

Then, in the middle of the night, they would
take the group to a kampung or beach, hand them
tyres and ask them to swim towards Singapore.
Those who refused were ruthlessly shoved into the
sea.

The Singapore police gave their Malaysian
counterparts vital information provided by the
illegals, such as the duo's contact details and
places they usually conducted their activities.

They were arrested in their semi-detached
house in Permas Jaya.