Six Indonesian men who had previously been deported from Singapore were sentenced on Monday, January 26, after attempting to re-enter the country illegally by sea, only to be intercepted when their vessel sank off the eastern coast.
The men — Asrarudin, 23; Brick, 28; Hardi, 25; Ismaun, 27; M Amrin, 24; and Muamar Iman, 29 — were handed jail terms ranging from one year to one year and nine months, along with between four and 10 strokes of the cane. Each pleaded guilty to two charges: entering Singapore illegally and unlawfully returning after removal.
Court documents revealed that the plan began in November 2025, when Asrarudin travelled to Batam and expressed his intention to enter Singapore illegally to seek employment. An acquaintance linked him up with several others who shared the same goal, including Hardi, Ismaun, M Amrin and Muamar Iman. Asrarudin also roped in his friend Brick, who was similarly keen to make the illegal journey.
The group agreed to purchase a sampan from a seller found on Facebook for 15 million rupiah (about US$900), splitting the cost among themselves. On December 20, 2025, they gathered at a beach in Sekupang, Batam, where the wooden vessel was delivered in the evening. The men set off for Singapore with Asrarudin at the helm.
The journey took several hours, as it was Asrarudin's first time operating a vessel and sea conditions were rough. Shortly after midnight on December 21, the Police Coast Guard was alerted to a suspicious boat in waters off Tanah Merah and instructed to conduct checks.
At about 12.40 am, officers spotted the 10m-long sampan and gave chase, activating their patrol boat's lights and siren. In an attempt to evade arrest, Asrarudin manoeuvred the motorised vessel between anchored ships. During the pursuit, water began flooding into the sampan, which eventually sank. The six men were rescued by the police and placed under arrest.
Investigations showed that all six had previously been repatriated from Singapore to Indonesia between 2022 and 2025 for immigration offences. They had been formally informed that they were barred from re-entering Singapore without approval from the Controller of Immigration and had acknowledged the ban notices.
During sentencing submissions, the prosecution sought heavier punishment for those with prior convictions, arguing that earlier penalties had failed to deter repeat offending.
Brick received the stiffest sentence — one year and nine months' imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane — after it emerged that he had five previous convictions for immigration-related offences, the highest among the group.
The court agreed that deterrence was necessary, noting the risks posed by illegal maritime crossings and the repeated disregard for immigration laws.
