Indonesian Citizens Sentenced To Enter Singapore Illegally Via Sampan Via Batam

Photo by Michael Niessl on Unsplash

JAKARTA - I don't know what the motive was for this man from Batam. He has been sentenced several times from Singapore for illegal entry. But after being released, he repeated the same mistake again.

Reporting from Channel News Asia, this man named Brick (26 years old) has been convicted four times of immigration violations and received a total of 25 whips. He took the canoe from Batam to Singapore waters and left the boat before swimming to the beach.

Finally, Brick was sentenced to one and a half years in prison and nine lashes on Monday 8 April.

He pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Immigration Act, namely entering Singapore without valid permission and entering Singapore without written permission when he was deported.

Brick was arrested by Immigration Authority officers and Examination Post (ICA) in March when he was unable to provide any evidence if he lives here legally.

Brick did not bring any travel documents at the time of his arrest. He was referred to the ICA investigation branch, which eventually exposed his past.

Brick was last charged and convicted in court in November 2019 for a similar immigration offense for entering Singapore without valid permission and returning illegally after he was expelled from the country.

He was sentenced to one year in prison and eight sticks and referred to ICA for deportation after serving a prison sentence.

At the end of June 2023, Brick wanted to re-enter Singapore for reasons not stated in the open court.

He left Batam on a canoe and left for Singapore. Before reaching Singapore's coastline, he left his boat and swam to Singapore using an improvised buoy.

He then entered the Tuas coastline undetected and lived in Singapore illegally for about nine months until ICA officers arrested him.

"I'm looking for the lightest sentence because I also work for my family and my mother is currently sick," Brick said.

The judge said that the criminal sentence imposed on the man in the past showed a stubborn attitude and repeated violations, and agreed that the sentence should be increased.