TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Chinese man gave himself up to the authorities in Kaohsiung after having spent two months in the city following his entry into the country on a cargo ship, reports said Wednesday.

The man, surnamed Li (李), first traveled from China’s Fujian Province to the Taiwan Strait by fishing trawler in September before boarding the freighter Xiang Yun flying under the flag of Tanzania. On Oct. 7, the ship entered the Port of Kaohsiung, but because of mechanical problems, it faced demolition, the Liberty Times reported.

Li contacted a local resident named William Huang (黃威廉), who provided him with the address of a B&B in Qijin District. Two months later, Li gave himself up at a Kaohsiung office of the National Immigration Agency and admitted having entered Taiwan illegally.

Taking into account his admission and the fact that he had committed no other crimes, the Kaohsiung District Court sentenced him to 30 days in detention. Appeals are still possible.

The incident follows several cases of Chinese entering the country in small boats undetected by radar. While the arrivals often claim to be looking for political asylum, the authorities suspect they might form part of China’s tactics to probe Taiwan’s defenses.