Ellison welcomes 12-year sentence for people smuggler

ABC
17 December 2004

Justice Minister Chris Ellison has welcomed a 12-year jail term for a Pakistani man convicted of people-smuggling offences. A Perth jury found Hasan Ayoub guilty of organising two boats, carrying hundreds of people mainly from Afghanistan, to sail from Indonesia to Christmas Island in 2001.

WA District Court Judge Peter Nisbet described the people smuggling trade as appalling and distressing and said it he hoped the lengthy jail term would send a strong message.

Senator Ellison agrees.

"People smugglers do not have respect for human life, we've had tragic situations where there has been a substantial loss of life through people smuggling," he said.

"This 12-year sentence of Mr Ayoub sends a very clear message to anyone who's contemplating people smuggling to Australia that this is the sort of penalty they'll face."

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