KUALA LUMPUR: A 17-year-old boy who made headlines for smuggling a group of illegal immigrants using a Toyota Vellfire earlier this month, was charged at the Sessions Court, today.
The charges were read out to him before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi.
No plea was recorded as the case is a security offence under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) that will be tried in the High Court.
He is charged with one count of smuggling 25 illegal immigrants, under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrant Act 2007, which carries a maximum 20 years imprisonment, fine or both upon conviction.
According to the charge sheet, the teenager, together with another individual who is still at large, was alleged to have smuggled 25 illegal immigrants on August 2 this year.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Zuraidi Zulkifli prosecuted, while the teenage boy was not represented.
Muhamad Zuraidi told the media after today's proceeding that the court has fixed October 17 for case mention, to transfer the case to the High Court for trial.
The 17-year-old was reported to have been arrested in Jalan Selinsing, here, on Aug 3, after he was suspected of smuggling a group of illegal immigrants from Rantau Panjang, Kelantan to here, using a Toyota Vellfire, with no driving license and using a fake car registration number.
He was alleged to have committed the offence with another individual, who fled the scene. The duo was alleged to have ferried the illegal immigrants for a payment of RM6,000 each at 3am on Tuesday (Aug 2).
Sentul police chief Assistant Commissioner Beh Eng Lai was reported saying that a police team spotted the vehicle and that the driver refused to stop when the police ordered him to do so.
He later lost control of the vehicle causing it to skid and crash into three cars and a motorcycle ridden by a policeman.
The group of foreigners comprising 19 men and six women from Myanmar, aged between 15 and 39 without identification documents were found in the vehicle.