Wang Kelian case: Four Thai men charged with smuggling Myanmar migrants

KANGAR: Four Thai men were separately charged at the Sessions Court here today with smuggling of migrants involving two Myanmar nationals at Bukit Wang Burma, Wang Kelian, Padang Besar between 2013 and 2015.

The four men, Jehpa Lapi-E, 56, Somphon A-Dam, 51, Arun Kaeofainok, 30, and Amree Nesalaeh, 58, nodded in understanding when the charge was read out by the court interpreter before Judge Musyiri Peet.

However, no plea was recorded as the offence under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 is under the High Court's purview.

According to the charge sheet, Jehpa Lapi-E, Somphon A-Dam and Arun Kaeofainok were each charged with smuggling a Myanmar man known as Zedul Islam at Bukit Wang Burma, Wang Kelian, Padang Besar between February and April 2013.

The other accused, Amree Nesalaeh was charged with smuggling another Myanmar man, Mohd Belal, at the same place at around 5.30 am between August 2014 and March 2015.

The charge, framed under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act, carries a maximum jail term of 15 years and a fine, or both, upon conviction.

The court did not allow bail and set July 25 as the next mention date for the case to be transferred to the High Court.

In May 2015, Malaysia was shocked by the discovery of camps and graves involving illegal immigrants in Wang Kelian on the Malaysia-Thailand border, and the incident drew various reactions from the local and international communities.

Upon investigations, the Malaysian Government submitted an extradition request to the Thai government for 10 Thai individuals on Jan 6, 2017, and both countries made efforts to locate all the individuals involved for the extradition process.

Yesterday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said four Thai men wanted in connection with the discovery of the camps and mass graves in Wang Kelian in 2015 have been extradited to Malaysia to face court charges.

He said the successful extradition of the four was the result of cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand.

-- BERNAMA