Singapore’s State Court has sentenced 23-year-old Indonesian Febry Iswanto to eight months in prison and three strokes of the cane for his involvement in a human smuggling operation. Iswanto was arrested alongside seven other foreign crew members on November 9, after the Singapore Port Police conducted an operation at the Pulau Punggol Aggregate Terminal. He pleaded guilty to aiding three individuals in entering Singapore illegally, while investigations into the other crew members are ongoing.
Iswanto, who began working on the tugboat in March 2024, was approached by a former crewmember offering payment to assist in smuggling. In late August, while in Indonesian waters, he helped two individuals hide in the tug’s anchor compartment. Upon reaching Singapore, he instructed them to swim to shore, receiving approximately $60 for his efforts, as only one person reportedly succeeded in reaching safety.
In October, while back in Indonesia, Iswanto aided three more individuals, who again hid on the barge during their journey to Singapore. He claimed he did not receive payment for this second attempt, and the three individuals remain unaccounted for. The police arrested all eight crew members at the terminal, seizing the tug and barge as evidence. Under Singapore law, Iswanto faced a minimum sentence of six months and a maximum of two years in prison, along with mandatory caning.
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