Six men charged with trafficking 21 illegals
KOTA KINABALU: Six men, who were charged separately with trafficking a total of 21 immigrants at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) here, will have their cases re-mentioned on January 11.
Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz set the date on Anuar Madjinil Hadji, 34, Amin Ali, 28, Omar Sapari, 53, Jasnih Ot Ali @ Mohd Alli, 54, Badri Jalal, 62, and a Filipino, Muksin Munib, 60, at the request of the prosecution, yesterday.
Anuar was alleged to have trafficked three Filipinos aged between 22 and 35, at KKIA here at 1.05pm between June 3, 2017 and Oct 24.
Muksin was alleged to have trafficked the same Filipinos and a 45-year-old Filipina at 1.19pm at the same place and time.
Meanwhile, Amin was accused of trafficking four men and two women, aged between 23 and 30, including 24year-old Anina Wahi, at KKIA at 6.30pm between Aug 9, 2017 and Oct 24.
Omar was alleged to have trafficked Anina and seven men, aged between 20 and 37, including 20-year-old Fahad Jailani at 12.10am at the same place and time.
Auxiliary airport police, Jasnih, was accused of trafficking Fahad and a 55year-old Filipina at KKIA at 5.15pm between February 2017 and Oct 24.
Then, Badri was alleged to have trafficked another two Filipinas aged 27 and 45, and a 20-year-old Filipino at the same place at 7.40pm between Sept 13, 2017 and Oct 28.
The alleged offences under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007 carry a jail term of up to 15 years or a fine or both, upon conviction.
When they were first brought to court on November 21, no pleas were recorded from them.
Earlier deputy public prosecutor Mohd Khairuddin Idris informed the court that some documents were yet to be received.
Meanwhile, counsel Hamid Ismail, who represented Jasnih, sought for another order from the court to refer his client to a doctor at a hospital here.
He said he had applied such order during a previous proceeding as his client had only received medication from a medical assistant during his detention.
However, he emphasized that his client had informed him that until yesterday, he (Jasnih) was yet to visit the hospital.
Hamid also informed the court that his client was investigated without his knowledge and thus hoped that such an event would not happen again.
Counsel Ansari Abdullah, who represented Amin and Omar, and counsels Mohd Al Hafidz Mohd Lokman and Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, who represented Muksin and Anuar, also applied for an order from the court to refer their respective clients, except Amin, to the hospital. Hamid also represented Badri. All of the accused are further detained in custody.