Fadley Faisal
An armed Malaysian who trespassed into Brunei through the forests joining Labi’s reserves and illegally collected forest produce was sentenced to jail with whipping and ordered to settle a fine.
Acting Senior Magistrate Dewi Norlelawati binti Haji Abdul Hamid sentenced Mayzem Musa, 38, to five years and three months jail, six whippings and a BND1,500 fine after he pleaded to a charge of collecting forest produce without a licence within the Labi Hills Forest Reserve, entering Brunei without using a valid travel document, possessing a self-made shotgun rifle and four bullets categorised as explosives.
The fine carries an in default imprisonment sentence of one month.
Prosecutor Nurul Husna binti Haji Abidin revealed that the defendant had left his village in Kuala Baram and headed towards a market in Marudi sometime in late March.
From there, he hitched a ride to Linai and upon reaching there, he set out by foot towards Ulu Belait for three days. Arriving in the Brunei forest reserve, the defendant set up camp and spent the night.
A team of personnel from the Police Reserve Unit of the Royal Brunei Police Force were conducting an operation along a river near where the defendant was on April 2 at 10am.
They found traces of wood from Gaharu trees and patrolled the area. They came across the tent set up by the defendant.
The team went back to their patrol camp to prepare for an ambush.
Close to 11am, they ambushed the camp and found the defendant sleeping. The defendant woke up to an ambush and was arrested. The team also gathered evidence from the site leading to the defendant’s prosecution.
Among the exhibits were BND90 worth of Gaharu wood pieces.
The prosecution presented the case along with expert reports confirming to the offences as set out in the charges against the defendant.
