KUCHING: The High Court has sentenced an Indonesian man to two years in prison for transporting smuggled migrants from his home country into Sarawak via Lundu earlier this year.
Judge Leonard David Shim meted out the sentence against Jono Lamiri, 39, after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
The offence carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine of up to RM250,000, or both, upon conviction.
Jono was accused of ferrying four migrants in a sedan along a road leading to the Biawak Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) checkpoint border crossing in Lundu at around 7.45 am on Feb 12.
According to the case facts, during ‘Ops Serkap’ on the day of the incident, an immigration enforcement team stopped a suspicious Toyota Camry travelling from the border area toward Lundu.
Jono was behind the wheel and accompanied by four Indonesians identified as Muslimun, 45; Rusnah, 46; Mansyur, 34; and Narwadi Bukhairi, 30.
Further investigation revealed that Muslimun and Rusnah had previous records of entering Malaysia in 2022 and 2023, while the others did not possess valid travel documents.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kong Siew Chuo prosecuted while, Jono was unrepresented.
