A 23-year-old Indonesian man was sentenced to eight months' jail and three strokes of the cane by a Singapore court on Wednesday, December 17, for helping people enter the country illegally.
Febry Iswanto pleaded guilty to one charge under the Immigration Act, while a second similar charge was taken into account during sentencing.
The court heard that he had abetted five individuals to enter Singapore without proper documentation in August and October this year. The identities of these individuals remain unknown, and they are still at large.
From March 2024, Febry had been employed on an Indonesian-registered tugboat that towed a barge, where he befriended a fellow worker named Jefryansyah.
Sometime before August 31, Febry received a message from Jefryansyah, who had been dismissed the previous year, offering him 1.5 million rupiah (S$115) for each person he helped smuggle into Singapore. Although aware of the illegality, Febry agreed to the plan to fund his hobby of modifying his motorcycle.
The two men used the code word "kambing" (Indonesian for "goat") to refer to the stowaways. Between August 28 and 29, two individuals boarded the vessels while they were still in Indonesian waters and hid in the anchor compartment.
The tugboat and barge arrived at Pulau Punggol Aggregate Terminal on August 30. In the early hours of August 31, Febry turned off the floodlights and helped the two people reach mainland Singapore, instructing them to hide in a forested area. Only one of the two reportedly reached the "safe place," and Febry was paid 1 million rupiah.
In October, Jefryansyah approached Febry again to smuggle three more people, promising 1.5 million rupiah per person. A similar operation occurred on October 25, with the three individuals boarding the vessels and hiding in the anchor compartment.
They disembarked at Pulau Punggol Aggregate Terminal in the early hours of October 26, though Febry was not paid for this second operation.
The Police Coast Guard arrested the crew on November 9 following information about their involvement in facilitating illegal entry.
The prosecution highlighted that Febry's offences were premeditated, well-planned, and motivated by monetary gain. He had also taken steps to conceal his actions, including using code words and assisting the stowaways under the cover of darkness.
Speaking through an interpreter, Febry requested a lenient sentence, citing his role as the sole child in his family and his financial contributions. He assured the court he would not commit similar offences in the future.
Under Singapore law, intentionally aiding a person to enter the country illegally carries a penalty of six months to two years' imprisonment and a minimum of three strokes of the cane.
