MELAKA - Five e-hailing drivers were each fined RM5,000 or RM10,000 by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court here today after they pleaded guilty to charges of carrying illegal immigrants in their respective vehicles last month.
They are Mohd Taufiq Md Isa, 30, Syed Salim Syed Anuar, 34, Muhammad Hafiz Rudi, 35, Mohd Fhairul Arifin Shaharudin, 39, and Shahrulnizam Abu Hanafi, 46.
The charge against Muhammad Hafiz and Syed Salim was read out before Judge Dharmafikri Abu Adam, while Muhammad Hafiz, Syed Salim and Mohd Taufiq were charged with committing the offence in the court before Judge Mohd Ismail Sabri.
Muhammad Hafiz and Mohd Taufiq were charged with carrying two illegal immigrants in their respective vehicles, while the other three accused were charged with carrying only an illegal immigrant in each of their vehicles.
All of them were charged with committing the offence between noon and 11 pm at Klebang Beach and Ayer Keroh Treatment and Rest (R&R) area here last Aug 14.
They were charged under Section 55E (1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, which is punishable under Section 55E (2) of the same law act, and provides a fine of between RM5,000 and RM30,000 or a maximum imprisonment of 12 months or both for each immigrant, if found guilty.
Mohd Taufiq and Muhammad Hafiz were each fined RM10,000, while Syed Salim, Mohd Fhairul Arifin and Shahrulnizam were fined RM5,000 each.
The court also ordered the mobile phones and cars that were registered in the name of Muhammad Hafiz's wife and Syed Salim's sister to be returned to the accused.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors N. Sivashangari and Muhamad Nazrin Ali Rahim, while lawyers Omar Zulkarnain and Datuk Hanif Hassan represented the accused. - BERNAMA