Mahedi Hasan, a 44-year-old Bangladeshi national, pleaded guilty on 30th September 2025 to three counts of trafficking in persons offences. Two 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 brought under Section 5(1) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, Chapter 230 for an offence committed in 2019.

In delivering the sentence, the Honourable Judicial Commissioner observed that the Defendant's conduct exhibited serious aggravating features; in which victims were deliberately recruited through deception and lured by false promises of stable and well-paid employment in Brunei Darussalam. The Defendant exercised exploitative control over the victims, confiscating their passports and demanding monthly payments under false pretence of legal requirement and repatriation as well as deploying them to various workplaces often with meagre or no salary.

The Court further emphasised that the offences were not isolated but formed part of a repeated pattern of criminal conduct over a significant period of time, revealing a calculated scheme rather than a momentary lapse. This pattern involved multiple victims who had placed their trust in the Defendant, having left their families and incurred debts in hopes of improving their future. The Defendant's action also undermined the integrity of Brunei Darussalam's labour and immigration systems.

Given the gravity of the deception and exploitation involved, the Honourable Court held that a substantial custodial sentence and a strong deterrent punishment were warranted. Following that, the Honourable Judical Commissioner sentenced the Defendant to a total of 5 years' imprisonment, a fine of 50,000 Brunei Dollars in default of 50 months' imprisonment, and 6 strokes of whipping.