3 Indonesian men and 1 Sri Lankan man have been charged with people smuggling offenses after two separate alleged attempts to facilitate the arrival of a combined total of 74 people to Australia.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) charged the men with one count each of facilitating the bringing of non-citizens into Australia (of five or more people), contrary to Section 232A of the Migration Act 1958.

The Indonesian men arrived on 29 October 2009 on a vessel carrying 34 passengers that was intercepted as it approached Ashmore Island by the Royal Australian Navy patrol boat HMAS Ararat, operating under the control of Customs and Border Protection Command.

The Sri Lankan man arrived on 29 September 2009 onboard a distressed vessel carrying 40 passengers, approximately 250 nautical miles north of Cocos-Keeling Islands.

Border Protection Command deployed the Oceanic Viking vessel to provide safety of life at sea support to the distressed vessel.

The four men are the first charged with these offenses by the AFP in 2010 and bring the total number of people charged by the AFP with people smuggling offenses since September 2008 to 88.

The maximum penalty for people smuggling offenses is 20 years imprisonment and/or a $220,000 fine.

Source: AFP

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