The Magistrate’s Court yesterday handed jail sentences, with whipping to a Vietnamese duo who trespassed into the country after being repatriated and barred from a previous offence.
Magistrate Mohammad Marzuqi bin Sabtu ordered Canh Tinh Nguyen, 41, and, Anh Quyet Bui, 44, each to serve a year in prison, with three whippings.
According to Immigration prosecutor Haminah binti Haji Awang Salleh, her colleagues from the enforcement section conducted inspections at a house in STKRJ Kampong Tungku Gadong and another at Kampong Bebuloh at 4pm on September 20 as part of an operation. The duo were arrested when the personnel demanded their passports, which did not bear Brunei arrival stamps. They were taken in for investigation which revealed that the duo had sneaked into the country together.
The court heard that the duo first tried entering Brunei through the Kuala Lurah Control Post on September 16, but were refused entry.
Immigration personnel on duty at the post learned that the duo were prohibited to enter the country for previous offences.
The duo then went back to Limbang, Malaysia only to make another attempt to re-enter Brunei.
On September 18, they used a boat on the Limbang river and entered the Brunei river, near Temburong District.
As soon as they got to dry land in Temburong District, the defendants had a person pick them up and headed for the city. – Fadley Faisal
