Sentences the heaviest in Immigration history: DG

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Bangladeshis were sentenced to 20 years’ jail and four Malaysians fined RM480,000 by the sessions court on Wednesday for allowing 24 illegal immigrants to enter and stay in their premises.

Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said in a statement yesterday that these sentences were the heaviest penalties in the history of the Immigration’s prosecution.

The court sentenced four Malaysians under Section 55E(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, for which they are liable to be fined RM480,000, failing which they would face a nine-year jail term.

The two Bangladeshis were charged under Section 55E(1) and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

The duo were charged with guarding the premises and giving protection to the 24 illegal immigrants.

“All the accused were found to have knowledge that all those, who where brought into Malaysia are illegal immigrants as stipulated under Section 8 of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.

Mustafar said a team from the enforcement unit had raided an unnamed multi-storey building in Jalan Hang Lekiu, Kuala Lumpur, recently and arrested 24 illegal immigrants from India, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

“The Immigration prosecuting officer has successfully proven a prima facie case against the six men, where they were owners and caretakers of the premises and had a common intention to allow the 24 illegal immigrants to live there.” he said.