Batam, Batamnews.co.id - The Class I Special Immigration Office in Batam, Kepulauan Riau Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, has designated a Singaporean citizen with the initial "S" as a suspect in a case of alleged immigration offenses.

This action was taken after it was discovered that S deliberately provided false or misleading information in order to obtain Indonesian travel documents, in violation of Article 126C of Law No. 6/2011 on Immigration.

Head of the Batam Immigration Office, Subki Miuldi, along with the Head of Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement Division, Ricky Rachmawan, revealed the chronology of the incident on Wednesday (June 21, 2023).

Read more:  Batam Becomes a Trending Destination on Twitter as K-Pop Star Taehyung Plans Vacation

On Wednesday, May 29, S submitted a visa application for an Indonesian passport at the Batam Immigration Office with all the required documents.

During the interview process, passport service counter officers became suspicious of the inaccurate information provided by S, such as his lack of knowledge about the village or sub-district of his birthplace.

"In addition, S also did not know the name of his elementary school. When our officers asked if he understood and knew Pancasila, S could not answer," he stated.

Ricky added that the officers eventually coordinated with the Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement Division to conduct a thorough examination and interview of S.

Read More: European Countries Dominate Investment in Batam City, Contributing USD 7.12 Million in Q1 2023

Anggi Adriyudo, the Head of Immigration Enforcement Division, further explained that after further examination, S admitted that he was not an Indonesian citizen but a Singaporean citizen. He showed his Singaporean passport to the officers.

"The reason for applying for an Indonesian passport was to be able to stay longer in Indonesia and there was also a motive to obtain retirement funds if he renounced Singaporean citizenship," said Yudo.

Samuel Pangaribuan, a representative from the Batam State Prosecutor's Office, stated that the case files were complete and there was sufficient evidence.

"At present, we are waiting for the transfer of the case files, the suspect, and the evidence to the Batam State Prosecutor's Office," he said.

Read more: Enjoying the Evening Atmosphere in Karimun: Playing with Sand and Relax in the Coastal Area

The case of S has now been handed over by the Immigration authorities to the Batam State Prosecutor's Office. S will be charged under Article 126C of Law No. 6/2011 on Immigration, in conjunction with Article 53 of the Indonesian Criminal Code regarding Attempted Criminal Offenses, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of Rp 500 million.