BATU PAHAT: Three Indonesian men were each sentenced to three years in prison by the magistrate’s court today for smuggling more than three tonnes of untaxed tin ingots and tin powder into Malaysian waters.
Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno handed down the sentence after the three men — Zulkifli, 46, Suhaimi, 30, and Basri, 45 — pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court also ordered the confiscation and forfeiture to the government of all seized items, including the boat, tin ingots and powder.
The trio had jointly transported 121 packages containing 3,004kg of untaxed tin ingots and powder, involving unpaid duties amounting to RM444,351.
The offence was committed about 0.2 nautical miles northwest of Tanjung Telaga here at 3.45pm on Aug 4.
They were charged under Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967, punishable under Section 135(1)(iii)(aa) of the same Act, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
Under the provision, offenders face a fine of at least 10 times the value of the goods or RM100,000, whichever is higher, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
Earlier, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol team aboard Bot Petir 85 was conducting surveillance from Batu Pahat waters towards Benut, Pontian, when it spotted a boat named KM Nur Muhamad in Malaysian waters about 10.10am on the day of the incident.
The team intercepted the boat for inspection, uncovering hundreds of packages containing tin ingots and powder without valid permits or supporting documents.
The three men were then arrested.
MMEA prosecuting officer Ahmad Farid Ahmad Kamal handled the prosecution. All three accused were unrepresented.