TAWAU: Twenty men, including a Malaysian, were charged in the Magistrate’s Court here with keeping and transporting 3,004 cartons of prohibited imported cigarettes worth RM65.75 million, Wednesday.
They were seized in waters south of Pulau Sipadan, Semporna, last month. Eighteen of the accused claimed trial, while no plea was recorded from two others, who are Myanmar and Indian nationals, pending appointment of interpreters.
The charges against 13 Filipino accused were read in Suluk through an interpreter who attended the proceedings via Zoom before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin.
The remaining seven accused, comprising two Indonesians, two Indians, one Myanmar national, one Filipino and one Malaysian, appeared before Magistrate Don Stiwin Malanjum.
According to the charges, the 13 Filipinos were jointly charged with possessing 1,956 cartons of Bosqu white cigarettes aboard the cargo vessel MB Sadiya.
The other seven aged between 26 and 62, were charged with transporting 1,048 cartons of various brands of prohibited imported cigarettes aboard the cargo vessel MV Yuli Fatt.
They were alleged to have committed the offences at locations 6.9 and 7 nautical miles south of Pulau Sipadan, Semporna, at about 1.06am on June 23.
Dayang Aidaku fixed Aug 10 for further mention of the case involving the 13 Filipinos, pending the chemist’s report.
She denied bail as requested by the prosecution, citing the accused’s lack of valid identification documents. Don Stiwin also fixed Aug. 10 for case management involving the other seven accused.
He granted bail of RM5,000 with two local sureties each to the five accused whose pleas were recorded.
The remaining two accused will have their pleas taken on the same date with the assistance of Burmese and Hindi interpreters.
The seven accused were also ordered to report to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) office twice a month and surrender their passports to the investigating officer until the disposal of the case.
Deputy Public Prosecutor for the Sabah and Labuan MMEA, Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen Atim, appeared for the prosecution, while lawyer Darmin Achok represented the seven accused.
The media previously reported that the MMEA recorded the largest seizure in its history after crippling a cigarette smuggling syndicate in waters south of Pulau Sipadan, with the total seizure valued at RM65.75 million.
