A Chinese man who entered Taiwan illegally with his son on an inflatable boat in May was sentenced yesterday to eight months in prison.
Song Yuankun (宋元坤), 41, "severely undermined Taiwan’s national security and border integrity," the Taoyuan District Court said in its ruling, citing the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法).
He was arrested in Taiwan on May 16, one day after he and his 17-year-old son landed at beach in Taoyuan on an inflatable boat they had bought online on a Chinese shopping site, the indictment said.
Photo: Yu Jui-jen, Taipei Times
The father and son entered Taiwan at about 5:30pm on May 15 near the Guantang LNG Terminal in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音), the indictment said.
After they landed, they went to an ATM and used a UnionPay card to withdraw cash, which they used to buy dinner, but they soon ran out of money and turned themselves in to authorities at about 8am the following day, the indictment said.
Song had been working as laborer in China’s Yunnan Province, while his son was a hairdresser, the indictment said.
After his arrest, Song told the authorities that he saw Taiwan as a "prosperous" place and wanted his son to study here.
Song was sentenced to eight months in prison, while his 17-year-old son is being held in the Taipei Detention Center pending deportation, according to the court ruling yesterday, which can be appealed.
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