Over 1,000 Nabbed For Various Offences In 6 Months By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Over 1,000 arrests have been made for violations of the country's acts under internal security, corruption, telecom, religion, misuse of drugs, immigration, customs, and labour for the first six months of this year, police statistics reveal.

The arrests were made from 700 cases. However, half of the arrests have been dealt with.

Thirteen Internal Security Act cases recorded have been solved, eight corruption cases have been solved, all 17 cases under telecom remain unsolved, and out of 31 cases under religious acts only one is pending.

Leading the biggest slice of offences is immigration, in which close to 500 arrests from over 200 cases have been made by enforcement officers of the Immigration Department, for flouting immigration and passport enactments.

This is followed by 170 labour cases with only one solved, and misuse of drugs act with around 160 cases and over 300 arrests. Violations of the custom acts recorded nearly 100 cases with close to 140 arrests.

Last February, the country introduced the Immigration Order Act 2004, which metes out caning penalties to immigration offenders.

If proven guilty, immigration offenders will also be given a jail term and compound fines according to the offences.

Among the amendments are: any illegal immigrants entering and staying in the country illegally without valid immigration passes, if found guilty, will be sentenced to a stiff penalty of imprisonment not less than three months and not exceeding two years and caning not less than three strokes of cane.

Offenders who have stayed for more than 90 days after the expiry of his or her immigration pass if found guilty will also be meted out with a heavy sentence of an imprisonment of not less than three months and not exceeding two years and not less than three strokes of caning.

Persons found to have abetted in bringing in and taking out immigration offenders or taking part in transactions in bringing in immigration offenders, if found guilty, will also be given a severe sentence compared with the present sentence.

The penalty will be an imprisonment of not less than two years and not exceeding seven years and not less than three strokes of the cane.

Employers found to have employed immigration offenders and those harbouring immigration offenders by providing accommodation and food, if found guilty, will be jailed not less than six months and not exceeding two years and fined not exceeding $6,000.

Foreign nationals who have attempted to enter Brunei without valid documents, if found guilty, will be sentenced to not less than three months' imprisonment and not exceeding two years jail and fined not exceeding $4,000. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News