Filipino is jailed for smuggling in Filipinos
Published on: Thursday, November 29, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: A 58-year-old Filipino boat skipper, who smuggled 10 paperless immigrants from Philippines into the country, was jailed five years and fined RM10,000 or one year jail by the High Court here Wednesday.Albarin Jukirin, a Cagayan, pleaded guilty before Judge Datuk Nurchaya Hj Arshad to ferrying the Filipinos, comprising four men, four women, a girl and a baby boy on board of a boat about 1.4 nautical miles from Tanjung Inaruntung at Pitas waters at 10pm on Aug 12.Albarin, who also has no valid travel document had committed an offence under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007, which carries a jail term of up to 15 years and fine or both on conviction.
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The charge was read to him in Cagayan language.Albarin, who was unrepresented, confessed to the court that the people were relatives to his friend and that he did it for money.He requested for leniency while Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen from the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) pressed for a deterrent sentence.Earlier, DPP Nurun in presenting the facts of the case, told the court that the MMEA detained a boat with Philippines registration number which was heading to Kudat from Cagayan island in Philippines.
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When checked, all the passengers including the skipper failed to produce any valid travel documents.Albarin was also found to receive money for 'fares' from the passengers to bring them into Malaysia.
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The court ordered Albarin to serve the jail term from the date of his arrest on Aug 12 and also ordered the seized boat to be forfeited by the prosecution.Meanwhile, in the Magistrate's Court, 31-year-old local man was fined RM2,200 or five months jail for drink driving.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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