A captain of a Singaporean vessel was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after the Japanese Court found him guilty of human smuggling last October.

The Japanese Coast Guard in May 2003 arrested three seafarers for roaming suspiciously in the vicinity of a Japanese port.

The three seafarers admitted to police that they entered Japan illegally on board a Singaporean vessel. They testified that the ship's Captain knew their plan to slip out of the port after the ship docked.

They also told the police that a certain foreign broker who collected fees for each person made the arrangement.

Based on their testimonies, the Japanese police raided the ship and arrested the Captain and five other crewmembers, the three seafarers named as accomplices.

The Captain admitted and likewise assumed full responsibility for the crime. He said that the five crewmembers were only following his orders and were not in any way informed or directly involved in the plan.

Thus, the three seafarers and the five crewmembers were released.

The Captain, aside from the 18-month imprisonment was told to return--through a donation to a Japanese institution--the amount of money paid to him to help smuggle the three foreign seafarers into the country.

Thanks to JSU International Service Staff VINCENT P. HIGOY for the information provided