High Court affirms Thai couple’s RM5m fine, jail terms for cash smuggling
KOTA BARU, June 20 — The High Court here threw out the appeal against the sentencing and conviction of a Thai couple found guilty of smuggling RM400,068 in cash into their country.
Justice Azman Abdullah affirmed the RM5-million fine and 15 months’ jail time each imposed by the Pasir Mas Magistrate’s Court on January 18 on Masaleng Itaebula, 27, and his wife Wasna Mamuh, 25, from Pattani, Thailand, who were found guilty under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
The judge, however, set aside the RM5 million fine and 11 months’ jail time imposed by the Sessions Court on the couple for the same offence, but under Section 23(2) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.
The couple, who were cattle sellers and had used a scooter to smuggle out the cash at the Rantau Panjang-Thailand Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at 4.30pm on January 6 this year, were represented by counsel Datuk Sukri Mohamed and counsel Mohd Zubairi Salleh.
The Customs Department was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Rozana Abd Hadi. — Bernama
