A teenage girl and two others face charges for smuggling five Myanmar nationals, with a fourth suspect still at large.
BUTTERWORTH: A teenage girl was among three individuals charged at the Sessions Court here today with migrant smuggling.
A fourth suspect linked to the case remains at large.
The accused, Umi Kalsom Abidin, 29, and a 17-year-old girl, pleaded not guilty before Judge Roslan Hamid.
A 19-year-old Myanmar national, Kyaw Zin Lin, was also charged but no plea was recorded as the court lacked an interpreter.
They are jointly accused of smuggling five Myanmar nationals in a car park opposite Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Bukit Mertajam on December 2.
The charge, under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Nur Amalina Harun did not object to bail for the accused.
She requested a new date to secure a Myanmar interpreter for Kyaw Zin Lin.
The court set January 13 for the next mention of the case.
Kyaw Zin Lin was represented by counsel K Puvirajan, while the other two accused were unrepresented.
