SINGAPORE - Two men attempting to leave Singapore illegally by swimming to Malaysia with trash bags over their heads have been arrested.

At about 4.40am on Wednesday (Nov 25) morning, officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint noticed two black trash bags floating near the shoreline along the Causeway.

Suspecting something was amiss, they conducted checks and found two people swimming near the shoreline towards Malaysia. They had been holding the trash bags over their heads to conceal themselves.

The men, aged 37 and 39 and both Malaysian nationals, were placed under arrest and found to have overstayed in Singapore. Investigations are ongoing, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said in a statement on Wednesday.

Under the Immigration Act (Cap 133), overstaying or illegal entry can be punished with a jail term of up to six months and a minimum of three strokes of the cane. Illegal departure can be punished with a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both.