A Singaporean man smuggled a pistol and bullets into Singapore that he bought in Johor Bahru for S$1,400, in order to scare off members of a rival gang.

26-year-old Muhammad Ikram bin Abdul Aziz was sentenced to seven years and 10 months' imprisonment, as well as six strokes of the cane, on Monday (Mar. 1), reported The Straits Times.

Bought pistol after friend's ex-wife beaten up by gang members

According to court documents seen by Mothership, Ikram decided to buy the gun after a close friend had some trouble with some gang members.

He and 26-year-old Amirul Asyraff bin Muhammad Junus had become close friends as they both studied in the same school and had played soccer for the same team in 2012.

In 2015 or 2016, Ikram joined the Sio Kun Tong secret society, also known as 369. Amirul then also joined about two years later.

Then, in Jan. 2019, Amirul found out that his ex-wife Nur Sarah Diana had been beaten up by a man named "Faris" outside of a nightclub.

Sarah said that Faris, who had pulled her hair and stamped on her face, had declared that he was from another gang called "Teck Whye".

Amirul asked Ikram for his advice on the situation, and told him that he wanted to take revenge on behalf of Sarah.

Ikram told Amirul not to act rashly and that he would help him, but did not want to get into a fight because Ikram had a young daughter.

Ikram decided to purchase a gun in order to scare the members of Teck Whye, in order to show that Amirul could not be bullied, and for both of their safety.

Bought pistol from Johor Bahru

Around Feb. 2019, Ikram went to a tattoo shop in a shopping mall in Johor Bahru, but kept his plan a secret from his girlfriend and Amirul.

Outside the tattoo shop, Ikram met up with a man known as "Boy JB", and told him that he wanted a gun for "family matters".

A few days later, after Ikram had returned to Singapore, Boy JB told Ikram that he could get a gun for S$900.

A day or two later, Ikram returned to Johor Bahru to meet Boy JB to buy the gun. He handed S$900 to Boy JB, but Boy JB did not return in time, so Ikram returned to Singapore without the gun.

A few days later, Boy JB called Ikram and told him that the gun he had originally wanted to buy was no longer available, but he could get a nicer handgun for a S$500 top-up.

Ikram agreed, and in Mar. 2019, returned to Johor Bahru in a car with his parents. He wanted decided to bring the gun back while travelling with his parents, because he noticed that Customs officers rarely checked his belongings when he was travelling with his elderly parents.

Ikram deposited RM1,500 (S$490.38) into Boy JB's bank account, and the two met up at a specified location.

Boy JB and two other people handed Ikram a blue canvas bag containing a pistol, pistol magazine, and bullets. Ikram told Boy JB that he only wanted the pistol, but Boy JB said that the pistol and bullets came together.

Ikram then returned to his condo by taxi, where he wrapped the pistol, pistol magazine, and bullets in a white towel and placed them into a transparent plastic bag and put clothes on top of the towel.

Brought gun back to Singapore

After Ikram brought that bag containing the gun back to Singapore, he bought a black holster and a pair of 3M gloves.

While alone in his room, he explored the features of the gun such as removing the magazine, pulling the trigger, putting four bullets in the magazine, and engaging the safety lock.

When Ikram called Amirul and told him that he had gotten a gun, Amirul initially didn't believe him.

Then, when Amirul went to Ikram's house for dinner sometime in March 2019, Ikram showed Amirul the pistol in his room.

Ikram told Amirul that he would not be able to "go down and fight" for him, as they lived far apart from each other and because he had a young daughter.

Thus, he told his friend, the pistol was the easiest way to help him.

Ikram asked Amirul if he wanted to bring the pistol home, but Amirul refused.

They then got into an argument because Amirul expected Ikram to protect him, but Ikram felt that it was Amirul's personal matter and that he should stand up for Sarah himself.

Asked Amirul if he wanted to bring the gun after encounters with rival gang

Amirul went on to have multiple encounters with members of the Teck Whye secret society.

Sometime in April 2019, he was surrounded by seven Teck Whye secret society members at a nightclub in Clarke Quay, and also punched in the face.

On another occasion, he was confronted by another Teck Whye gang member at a coffeeshop.

Amirul was also assaulted by Teck Whye secret society members at a family event, and his younger brother was, on a separate occasion, surrounded by members of Teck Why while on his way home.

After Amirul told Ikram about these incidents, Ikram said that Teck Whye gang members were "stepping on [Amirul's] head], and asked him if he would like for Ikram to bring the pistol along for a settlement talk with the Teck Whye gang.

Amirul said that he did not want Ikram to do so.

Gun discovered by CNB officers

On Oct. 8, 2019, officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested Ikram at the void deck of Block 731 Jurong West Street 72, as he was suspected to have consumed drugs.

The officers then raided Ikram's house, and found the bullets, the pistol, and a loaded pistol magazine, which Ikram admitted belonged to him.

Ikram did not bring the pistol or bullets out of his flat between the time he brought them into Singapore from Johor Bahru and when he was arrested.

For the unlawful possession of the pistol and bullets, Ikram committed an offence under Arms Offences Act.

For unlawfully possessing an arm or ammunition, he could have been jailed for up to 10 years and caned at least six strokes.

The prosecution called for at least eight years' imprisonment with six strokes of the cane:

"Singapore's strict punishments for gun possession are widely known and yet [Ikram] audaciously chose to obtain a gun and import it into Singapore and remained in unlawful possession of it for seven months."

Top photo via Unsplash / Bill Oxford.