Two Indonesian men arrested for illegal entry into Singapore by sea in a motorised sampan

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Police Force (SPF) apprehended two Indonesian men in their thirties for illegally entering Singapore by sea on Monday (Nov 20).

On Sunday (Nov 19), the incident unfolded at approximately 11.58 pm when the Police Coast Guard (PCG) surveillance system detected “an unknown fast-moving craft heading towards the shoreline of Tanah Merah Coast Road.”

SPF said in an official statement released on Monday (Nov 20), that the vessel skillfully navigated away from the floating sea barriers strategically deployed at the entrance of the Tanah Merah Canal before making landfall on the nearby coastline.

Swiftly responding to the detection, a joint operation involving officers from PCG, Bedok Police Division, the Gurkha Contingent, and the Special Operations Command successfully intercepted and arrested the two men who disembarked from the craft.

According to SPF’s statement, the two suspects, aged 36 and 33, were allegedly found without any valid travel documents.

Additionally, the 5-meter-long fibreglass sampan used for the illegal entry was seized by the police as a case exhibit. Ongoing investigations will explore the details related to the illegal entry.

The accused individuals are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday (Nov 21) to face charges related to the offence of unlawful entry into Singapore.

This violation carries a potential imprisonment term of up to six months and a mandatory minimum of three strokes of the cane.

Highlighting their commitment to safeguarding the nation’s waters and sea borders, the SPF emphasized that they will continue to take resolute action against offenders involved in unauthorized entry and departure, addressing both crime and security threats.

Commander of the Police Coast Guard, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Cheang Keng Keong said, “The officers’ vigilance and excellent teamwork which resulted in the swift arrest are highly commendable.

“PCG will continue to take firm action against such offenders to safeguard our waters and sea borders against crime and security threats which includes unauthorised entry into and departure from Singapore.”