KOTA BARU: Thirty-five undocumented migrants, including seven women, were charged at the Tanah Merah Special Court for Illegal Immigrants today for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
All 35 pleaded guilty before Sessions Court’s judge Nik Habri Muhamad.
The migrants comprised 10 from India, seven from Myanmar, six from Indonesia, five from Bangladesh, four from Thailand, and three from Pakistan.
They were charged under Section 15(1)(c) and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for overstaying and entering the country without valid travel documents.
The judge, however, sentenced 28 of them to four months’ imprisonment, while the other seven were offered fines of between RM3,000 and RM5,000. The seven accused later paid the fines.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Khaidijah Khairuddin prosecuted, while the accused were unrepresented.
The 35 were arrested in a series of operations conducted by the Kelantan Immigration Department across the state between Oct 13 and 15.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
