KANGAR: A boat operator was charged with trafficking two Myanmar migrants in Kuala Perlis last December.
Mahmud Sulaiman, 51, nodded when the charge was read before Sessions Court judge Musyiri Peet today, but no plea was recorded from the accused.
Mahmud, as the operator of an unregistered boat, was charged with trafficking two Myanmar migrants Wey Yan, 15, and her sister Pan Par, 20, at the Kuala Perlis waters at 9.20pm on Dec 24, 2021.
The charge was filed under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and punishable under the same section.
The offence carries a maximum of 15 years imprisonment with a fine or both if convicted.
The offender's boat and engine can also be confiscated.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Norshuhada Mohd Yatim prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer Nur Shaqira Ibrahim. The court fixed Feb 8 for case mention.
Meanwhile the court has postponed the charge proceeding for the two Myanmar sisters for entering this country illegally to Feb 3, and will appoint an interpreter.