BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Two foreign nationals have been prosecuted by Brunei's Immigration and National Registration Department for engaging in people smuggling activities or failing to present their passports, local media reported on Friday.
A 45-year-old Indonesian woman was sentenced to three years in prison in lieu of failure to pay a 6, 000 Brunei dollar ($4, 580) fine, for being involved in people smuggling activities, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the local daily Borneo Bulletin.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old Indonesian woman was sentenced to three months in prison in lieu of failure to pay a 2, 500 Brunei dollar ($1, 908) fine, for failing to report and present her passport to the immigration officer on duty during immigration inspection, according to the report.
Brunei is an oil-rich Southeast Asian country, with about 340, 000 population and high-level social welfare. The country implements strict measures against smuggling, illegal immigration, and overstaying.