By Sahrol Daud Borneo Bulletin
Five Indonesian men were sentenced to three months' imprisonment and three strokes of the cane yesterday after pleading guilty to entering Brunei Darussalam without valid passes.
Hainani Saco, 30, Syahril bin M Amin, 29, Rizal Rabuneh, 25, Abdul Saleng bin Seru, 24, and Wihelmus Jemail, 20, were convicted in the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate's Court.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joe Chan said the five men sometime in January this year were among a group who went through a jungle route in Sungai Bakong, Miri, Sarawak until they reached their desired destination - a forest area where they could do some logging.
The forest area was in the vicinity of LP 31 Ukur Ulu Belait.
According to the prosecutor, the five men built a temporary shelter in the area so they could carry out their logging work.
On February 26, the police made an ambush where seven of them managed to flee but five were arrested, the court was told.
The defendants failed to show valid passes to the police.
This is an offence under section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act (Chapter 17) punishable under section 6(3)(a) of the same Act.
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