Foreigner charged with smuggling people

Foreigner charged with smuggling people

Agence France-Presse, Perth, Australia

A man alleged to be a leader of a lucrative people-smuggling ring out of Indonesia, appeared before a court here on Monday, charged with smuggling more than 1,500 asylum-seekers into Australia.

Keis Abd Al Rahim Asfoor, 31, was apprehended at Perth international airport on Oct. 5 and charged with smuggling 1,698 people into Australia aboard 17 boats between June 1999 and March 2001.

Australian authorities say Asfoor, a Palestinian who is a resident of Indonesia, has been under investigation for two years over alleged people-smuggling activities.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Paul Usher, alleged in Perth Magistrate's Court that authorities had "copious amounts of evidence" of Asfoor's involvement in the people trade.

They included documents from the United Nations and the Australian Immigration Department.

Witnesses had identified him from a photograph, and there would be a police line-up later this week, Usher said.

The case comes as Canberra has got tough on the hundreds of asylum-seekers trying to sneak into the country, refusing entry to boatloads of people.

However, Asfoor's defense counsel said prosecutors have accused the wrong man, and his client was, in fact, a man called Iman Dogan.

Defense solicitor, Michael Tudori, told the court his client was in Australia "on vacation".

"The man has been arrested at the airport," Tudori said.

"All we're seeking is that they (the prosecution) at least establish to us who they think this man is," he added.

Magistrate Paul Heaney refused bail and remanded Asfoor in custody until Nov. 23.

Asfoor is facing 17 counts of facilitating people-smuggling into Australia and another 17 in relation to taking part in the smuggling.

The charges each carry maximum fines of A$220,000 (US$110,000) and A$110,000 (US$55,000) respectively, as well as jail terms of 20 years.

Asfoor also faces a charge of having a false passport.