By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, May 13: A 27-year-old man was sentenced to two years in jail for his involvement in the conveyance of five smuggled immigrants last year.
Rehaman Enaj Maheran, upon his own guilty plea, was convicted by Judge Leonard David Shim under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007.
According to the Act, the section provides for a jail term not exceeding five years, or a maximum fine of RM250,000, or both.
The court heard that on April 18, 2023, a team of immigration enforcement personnel conducting Ops Serkap examined a black pickup truck at the Biawak Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security post in Lundu around 5.45am.
Rehaman was found driving the vehicle, which was carrying five Indonesian nationals named Mazlan Rinaldi, Iwan, Ramadan, Tendi, and Abdul Hasan.
Upon inspection, it was revealed that Mazlan and Iwan each had a previous entry record into the country, but there was no record for the other three.
All five immigrants were subsequently charged under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and have received their respective sentences.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kong Siew Chuo prosecuted the case, while Rehaman was represented by counsels Steven Beti and Gerald Empaling Donald. — DayakDaily
