Thai Sent To Jail For Smuggling Migrants Into Malaysia

KANGAR (Perlis, Malaysia) Dec 15 (Bernama) -- A man of Thai nationality was sentenced to five years' jail by the High Court here Thursday for smuggling a Bangladesh migrants into the country. Judicial Commissioner Abu Bakar Katar handed down the sentence on Biau Wong Chumpo, 45, who pleaded guilty to the charge. Biau was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on March 13, 2015. He was charged with smuggling Md Tifajir Husin, 27, into the country between October 2014 and May 2 last year. The charge, under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, provides an imprisonment of up to 15 years, or fine, or both, upon conviction. Biau was among four foreigners who were charged with smuggling migrants into the country through Bukit Genting Perah and Bukit Wang Burma, Wang Kelian, between October 2014 and May 2015. The others, Nurul Islam, 32 (Bangladeshi), Momontin@Dus Mohamad, 18, (Rohingya ethnic) and Shahidullah@Syahidullah, 19, (Rohingya ethnic) are currently serving time for the offence. In mitigation, Biau, who spoke in Thai and then translated by the court interpreter, said he was a farmer and a single father of five children, who were now being cared for by his mother-in-law in Thailand. Deputy public prosecutors Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas and Afzainizam Abdul Aziz prosecuted. -- BERNAMA