IT was a clear morning in Batam late last September. As usual, before undertaking his daily routine, Ali Fauzi, 42, was chatting with his wife and child on the terrace of his house. The family’s noisy chatter was interrupted when three fully-armed police officers dressed entirely in black entered the yard.

After exchanging brief courtesies, one of the officers informed Ali that his Mercy E220 sedan car had been smuggled into the country illega