TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taiwan High Court on Friday confirmed an eight-month prison sentence for a former Chinese navy officer who arrived at the mouth of the Tamsui River in a motorboat last June.

Appeals against the verdict are still possible, the Liberty Times reported. The suspect, named Ruan (阮), 60, piloted a speedboat from China’s province of Fujian to arrive at a ferry pier in Tamsui, New Taipei, 12 hours later, on June 9.

He told police he wanted to claim political asylum in Taiwan but was detained on illegal immigration charges. Shilin District Court found him guilty in September, sentencing him to eight months in prison.

While he did endanger national security, he had given himself up to police, the court ruled. The judge left the decision of whether Ruan should be deported after serving his jail term up to the National Immigration Agency.

The High Court rejected an appeal against the lower court sentence and confirmed the eight-month prison term Friday.