KUCHING: A ride-hailing driver was sentenced to two years in prison by the High Court on Wednesday (Nov 1) for transporting five migrants who entered the country illegally through an oil palm plantation in Serian.
Wei Wei Seng, 26, pleaded guilty to the alternative charge under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
He committed the offence at an oil palm plantation in Kampung Mongkos, Serian, on June 2, 2021.
According to the case brief, the complainant, along with his enforcement team during Ops Benteng, noticed a suspicious-looking sedan leaving a plantation.
The team then followed the vehicle for about 10 minutes before stopping them for inspection.
As a result of the investigation, it was found that the accused had transported five migrants from Indonesia into the country illegally.
Furthermore, there were no records of the migrants’ entry and exit in the Malaysian Immigration Department.
The accused faced a potential maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine not exceeding RM250,000.
The case was prosecuted by deputy public prosecutor Jean Siew Chong Hwei, and the accused was represented by lawyers Gerald Empaling Donald and Steven Beti.
