A Bangladeshi was sentenced to 30 years' jail by the High Court in Kangar today when he pleaded guilty to three charges of smuggling three compatriots at Bukit Genting Perah in Wang Kelian, between October 2014 and May last year.

Nurul Islam, 32, was jailed 10 years for each of the three charges.

However, he will only serve 10 years imprisonment as Judicial Commissioner Abu Bakar Katar ordered the sentences to run concurrently from the date of his arrest on May 2 this year.

On the first charge, Nurul Islam pleaded guilty to smuggling Mohamad Nurbasya at 4pm between October 2014 and May 3, last year.

On the second charge, he admitted smuggling a Bangladeshi identified only as Delwar, between October 2014 and April 2015.

He committed a similar offence for the third time when he smuggled another compatriot identified only as Joy, at 4am between November 2014 and May3, last year.

The three compatriots were locked up in the jungle and beaten for the purpose of obtaining money from their family members in their home countries.

Earlier, Nurul Islam, who was clad in a pink baju Melayu and kopiah, broke down in tears in the dock when mitigating in his mother tongue.

According to the interpreter, he admitted what he had done was wrong but at the same time, claimed he was forced to commit the offences by another agent at his workplace who would beat him if he refused to follow orders.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas prosecuted.

Meanwhile in the same court, three men comprising two Myanmars and a Thai claimed trial to similar charges of smuggling immigrants.

Myanmar nationals, Shahidullah @ Syahidullah, 18, and Momotin @ Dus Mohamad, 19, had allegedly smuggled a Myanmar migrant named Mohd Belal at Bukit Wang Burma, Wang Kelian at 5.30am between August 2014 and March 10, last year.

Biau Wong Chumpo, 32, from Thailand was alleged to have smuggled a Bangladeshi migrant Md Tifajir Husin at 1.30am between October 2014 and May 2, last year.

Abu Bakar fixed the case for mention on July 1 for the three accused to engage a counsel.

Deputy public prosecutors Afzainizam Abdul Aziz and Nadia Zulkefli are handling the prosecution.

In May last year, the police discovered mass graves and skeletal remains believed to be that of ethnic Rohingyas, and 28 human trafficking camps and 139 graves, in Wang Kelian.

- Bernama