TWO senior officers of the Johor Immigration Department were among five people charged in the Johor Baru Sessions Court today with smuggling migrants into the country.

They are assistant director Norhayati Abu Bakar, 50, and senior officer Haris Fadzilah Abu Bakar, 48, both facing eight counts of migrant smuggling.

The three others are construction labourer M. Amir Nasir, 61, also hit with eight more charges; ferry ticket agent Tengku Jajang Sagita Tengku Redzuan, 54, also slapped with two more charges; and, a security guard at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal, Razali Mohamad, 55.

They five were brought before five different judges, but no pleas were recorded from any of them.

The judges were Kamarudin Kamsun, Faiz Dziyauddin, V. Mabel Sheela, Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob and Aizatul Akmal Maharani.

According to the charge sheets, all five are charged with jointly smuggling in eight migrants at Lot 21, Jalan Feri, Pasir Gudang Port, Johor Baru, about noon last June 15.

They were charged under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act, which provides imprisonment of up to 15 years, a fine or both if found guilty.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim, Nor Azizah Mohamad and Nur Baiduri Mustakim, while lawyers  Zaid Malek, Hairul Nadiah Hasni, Izzat Muhtar, Mohamad Isa Mohamad Basir and Munirah Najihah Shaari represented Norhayati, Haris Fadzilah, M. Amir, Jajang Sagita and Razali, respectively.

The court set July 23 for mention. – Bernama, July 16, 2020.