Credit card fraudster slips into Sabah via 'loophole'
Published on: Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: A Swede who had been jailed in Thailand for committing major credit card fraud managed to slip into Sabah because of the absence of Immigration checks for those coming using sea transport from Labuan.Per Johan Robin Bentley, 28, pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Azreena Aziz to illegally entering the State through Labuan at 4.30pm on March 24, this year, at the Jesselton Point ferry terminal, here.The Swede who slipped into Malaysia from Thailand and stayed in the country illegally for the past five months ran out luck in Sabah last month.ADVERTISEMENT He was fined RM4,000 in default four months' jail and ordered given a stroke of the cane.The offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 provides for a fine of up to RM10, 000 or a jail term of up to five years or whipping.Besides Jesselton Point, the other entry points where there are no immigration checks and had been identified in a High Court fake visas case earlier as how Pakistanis, among others, easily slip into Sabah unquestioned once they managed to land in Labuan are at Menumbok and Sipitang. Once in the state they proceed to obtain fake or genuine documents.ADVERTISEMENT Both State Barisan Nasional and opposition parties have called on the State Government to act quickly to plug the "loopholes" that arose following the federalisation of Labuan in 1984.Ironically, it had been established that Sarawak required all visitors taking sea transport to show their documents upon arrival at immigration counters in Lawas and Limbang, where they are allowed only three-month stay.
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Prosecuting Officer Hamisah Hj Puteh from the Immigration Department informed the court that Per was detained when he produced a passport without any endorsement or travel pass during checks at the terminal.According to Hamisah, Per said he had stayed in the country for five months and entered the border of Malaysia through a jungle trail from Thailand before heading to Kuala Lumpur by bus.Per entered the State as he wanted to continue his journey to the Philippines before flying back to his country. Previously, he was jailed in Thailand for ATM card skimming and processing fake credit cards that resulted in at least 10 million baht (RM1.1 million) being lost in major cities there.Per who asked for only a fine to be imposed on him, paid the fine but was ordered referred to the Immigration Department.Meanwhile, two Filipinos and an Indonesian were sent to prison for four months each for overstaying in the State. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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The trio admitted to staying in the State after their passports had expired and they were arrested on March 23 this year.Upon completing their jail sentence, they were ordered referred to the Immigration Department.