On 30 September 2025, a 44-year-old Bangladeshi national, Mahedi Hasan, pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking in persons offences. Two of the charges were brought under Section 4 of the Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons Order, 2004, for offences committed in 2018, while the third charge was under Section 5(1) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, Chapter 230, for an offence committed in 2019.The case was heard in the High Court before the Honourable Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court Muhammed Faisal bin PDJLD DSP Haji Kefli, with Deputy Public Prosecutor Hjh Siti Mu’izzah binti Haji Sabli representing the Public Prosecutor and counsels from Daud Ismail & Company for the Defendant.
Investigations by the Human Trafficking Investigation Unit of the Royal Brunei Police Force revealed that the Defendant had trafficked three Bangladeshi nationals into Brunei Darussalam between 2018 and 2019, for the purposes of forced labour. The victims, having incurred significant debts in Bangladesh had travelled to Brunei Darussalam in reliance on the Defendant’s promises of well-paid employment. Since their arrival in Brunei Darussalam, the Defendant failed to provide the victims with the promised employment. Notwithstanding their unemployment, the Defendant continued to demand monthly payments of BND$50-BND$100 from the victims and threatened them with repatriation should they fail to comply. He also admitted to deploying the victims to various workplaces at his discretion and retaining possession of their passports.
The Defendant pleaded guilty to all the charges preferred against him and admitted to the Statement of Facts presented by the Prosecution. Sentencing for the case has been deferred to 6 November 2025.
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