Singapore Man Jailed After 24-Year Absence, Caught Using Fake Identity At Changi Airport
A Singaporean man who allegedly fled the country more than two decades ago to avoid serving a prison sentence has been jailed after he was caught trying to enter Singapore using an Indonesian passport and a false identity.
Tan Khi Wie, 58, was sentenced to 14 months and three weeks in prison on August 11, 2026, after being convicted of six offences under the Immigration Act and Penal Code.
The charges included illegally leaving Singapore, using a false passport, providing false information on an arrival card, failing to produce a valid passport and failing to attend court.
Man disappeared after being jailed in 2002
Tan was originally sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment on August 6, 2002, after being convicted of cheating the then-Singapore Productivity and Standards Board.
He had been found guilty of cheating the agency into releasing a S$195,800 grant under the Local Enterprise Technical Assistance Scheme.
Tan subsequently filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence. However, instead of serving his sentence, he absconded from Singapore and failed to appear for a court mention relating to his appeal in January 2003.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on February 20, 2003.
According to investigations, Tan had already left Singapore illegally sometime between August 2002 and January 2003. He reportedly travelled by fishing boat to Pasir Gudang in Johor before making his way through Thailand and eventually settling in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Returned to Singapore several times using fake identity
Despite being wanted by Singapore authorities, Tan allegedly returned to Singapore multiple times between 2011 and 2016.
ICA said he used Indonesian passports bearing the name “Ken Srona” during those trips. He also allegedly declared on his arrival forms that he had never previously used a passport under another name to enter Singapore.
His long absence eventually came to an end on March 7, 2026, when he attempted to clear immigration at Changi Airport using an Indonesian passport under the same false identity.
Tan was unable to complete immigration clearance at the automated lanes, prompting ICA officers to carry out further checks.
Those checks established his actual identity and revealed that he was wanted by the Police. He was subsequently detained and handed over to the authorities.
Biometric checks helped expose false identity
ICA said Singapore’s immigration clearance systems have been strengthened through the use of biometric technology and data analytics.
Since July 2020, the authority has progressively implemented multi-modal biometric systems at Singapore’s checkpoints to help identify travellers using multiple or assumed identities.
The automated immigration lanes at Singapore’s land, sea and air checkpoints are equipped with both iris and facial recognition scanners.
ICA said the simultaneous use of these biometric identifiers provides a highly accurate method of verifying travellers’ identities and helps strengthen Singapore’s border security.
Tan was ultimately convicted of six charges, while another 16 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Authorities warned that travellers who attempt to circumvent immigration checks by using an assumed identity or a different identity from previous trips could face firm enforcement action.