BUTTERWORTH: Two Indonesian men pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to charges of trafficking firearms last month.
Zulkarnaini A. Rahman, 44, and Husaini (only one name), 22, enttered their plea after the charges were read to them in Indonesian by the court interpreter.
Both men were jointly charged with traffickiing four pistols and an M4 rifle in the waters off Perai, Seberang Perai Tengah District, at 3.10 pm on Jan 27.
They were charged under Section 7(1) of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 (Act 37), read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a minimum imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum of 40 years, along with no fewer than six strokes of the cane if convicted.
In the same court, Zulkarnaini also pleaded not guilty to possessing a pistol at the same location, time, and date.
He was charged under Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 (Act 37), which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 14 years and a minimum of six strokes of the cane, if convicted.
Judge Nor Azah Kasran set April 14 for mention and document submission.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Nadia Jamal, while both accused were represented by counsel Nur Ashiqeen Mohd Sultan.
Previously, Penang Police Chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad was reported saying that the Marine Police Force of Region One, Batu Uban, arrested four men, including two Indonesians, and seized five pistols, an M4 rifle, and 801 rounds of ammunition from a boat in the waters off Perai, one nautical mile southwest of Sungai Perai, on Jan 27.
Hamzah said that the four individuals, who worked as fishermen, were members of an international firearms smuggling syndicate and were believed to be conducting their first firearm transaction in the country.
