MANJUNG: Four Indonesian men were charged at the Sessions Court with two separate offences involving the smuggling of 104 migrants — 102 Indonesians and two Vietnamese nationals — into Malaysia last month.
Three of the accused — Adi Warman, 36, Gading, 31, and Rafiernanda, 19 — were jointly charged with smuggling 64 Indonesian migrants, comprising 39 men and 25 women, in waters near Pulau Talang, Manjung. The alleged offence occurred at about 4.30am on August 18, approximately 0.3 nautical miles from the island.
Separately, Yunus Saputra, 30, was charged with smuggling another 40 migrants, comprising 38 Indonesians and two Vietnamese nationals. The group, consisting of 28 men and 12 women, was allegedly brought to the shoreline of Pantai Hutan Kuari Sungai Batu, Manjung, at around 8am on the same day.
No pleas were recorded from the four accused because the offences fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court. The charges were framed under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code. A conviction carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, a fine, or both.
No bail was offered as the case falls under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA). All four accused were unrepresented, and the court fixed October 27 for the next case mention.
