The authorities have foiled a bid by five Burmese illegal immigrants to swim to neighbouring Singapore, reports said today.

Marine police spotted the five, aged between 24 and 38, as they were attempting their pre-dawn swim across the Johor Strait which separates southern Johor state from Singapore, The Star said.

Air-filled black garbage bags

The men had managed to swim just 300m of the strait, which is between two and five kilometres before they were discovered hanging on to air-filled black garbage bags which also contained clothes, Singapore currency, mobile phones and shoes, the New Straits Times said.

Investigations showed the men had entered the country on Tuesday from Thailand before making their way to Johor, marine police said.

They added that they were tipped off after the foreigners were seen hanging around an abandoned water-front shopping mall.