A 32-year-old Indonesian man has been sentenced to 10 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane after he hid a knife in his shoe at Changi Airport before trying to board a flight to Indonesia.
Syaifudin Alfitroh pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. He was sentenced on Tuesday, 6 October.
Knife Was Hidden Below Layers of Socks
The incident happened on 27 August at Changi Airport Terminal 4.
According to the police, they were alerted at about 1.10pm after a male passenger was found concealing a knife in his high-cut shoe at the departure centralised screening area.
A Certis Cisco aviation security officer operating the X-ray machine detected a suspicious sharp object in the man’s right shoe after he was told to remove his shoes before passing through the screening lane.
He was then taken to a search room, where officers found a knife and sheath hidden in the shoe.
The police said in August that the knife measured 19.5cm in total, with a 12cm blade, and had been wrapped in layers of plastic bags and sealed with tape. In court, the blade was described as 11cm long.
He Said a Friend Told Him to Hide It
The court heard that Syaifudin worked as sea crew on vessels in the Indian Ocean.
According to The Straits Times, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jun Kai said Syaifudin met a man named Ahmad on a vessel in March 2026.
Ahmad allegedly gave him the knife, which was wrapped in plastic, and told him to hide it in his shoe before leaving for Jakarta.
Court documents did not state why Ahmad wanted him to carry the knife or why Syaifudin agreed to do so.
Syaifudin was on a Taiwan-flagged transshipment vessel heading to Marina South Pier on 5 August when he said he felt unwell. His boss later arranged for him to fly back to Indonesia from Singapore.
Syaifudin claimed that before arriving in Singapore on 27 August, he had wanted to place the knife in his check-in luggage, but then remembered Ahmad’s instruction to hide it in his shoe.
Prosecution Said Potential Harm Was Serious
The prosecution sought 10 to 12 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane.
According to The Straits Times, the prosecutor said the case involved significant potential harm, as a concealed knife could have had serious consequences if it had not been detected before the flight.
In mitigation, Syaifudin said it was his first offence. He also said he was only transiting through Singapore and did not realise Singapore had strict rules on weapons.
He asked the court for leniency and said he was remorseful.
Under Section 6 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, a person who carries or possesses an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or lawful purpose can be jailed for up to three years and caned.
