KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Two men and a married couple pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to trafficking two Malaysian women in Peru.

Gan Zhang Gui, 37, his wife Cham Li Na, 34, Mohd Ismail Aiman Muhamad Radhuan, 26, and Lim Chin Hock, 37, along with Tony who is still detained by Peruvian authorities, are charged with trafficking two women aged 19 and 25 in a house in La Laguna, La Planicie, La Molina, Peru on October 7, 2023.

The charge framed under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and may be fined, if convicted.

Judge Azura Alwi allowed each accused to be released on bail of RM10,000 with one surety, with the additional condition that their passports be surrendered to the court until the case is concluded, and set May 20 for next mention.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Anas Bashari informed the court that the prosecution did not propose bail, but if the court decide to grant bail to all the accused, he recommended imposing a substantial amount.

Lawyer Hafizatul Shahirah Jamari, representing Lim and Gan, requested a lower bail amount citing their family responsibilities, while lawyer Ikram Ibrahim, representing Cham and Mohd Ismail Aiman, requested bail to be set at RM5,000.

It is understood that all the accused were detained by the Peruvian police and repatriated to Malaysia for further investigation. — Bernama