Melaka: A Myanmar national, San Lwin, has been sentenced to 13 years and seven months in jail by the Magistrate's Court after pleading guilty to 17 charges, including possession of forged passports and fake United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Magistrate Sharda Shienha Mohd Suleiman delivered the sentence, which will run concurrently from the date of San Lwin's arrest on November 8, 2025. San Lwin, identified as a document forgery syndicate agent, faced eight counts of possessing forged documents intended for fraudulent use under Section 474 of the Penal Code, which could result in a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine.

Additionally, San Lwin was charged with three counts under Section 12(1)(a) of the Passport Act 1966 for possessing altered or tampered passports, each carrying a potential five-year jail term or a RM10,000 fine. He also faced five charges under Section 12(1)(f) of the same act for unlawfully possessing passports or travel documents issued to others, subject to similar penalties.

Further charges included the dishonest use of a forged UNHCR card under Section 471 of the Penal Code, which could lead to a two-year jail term or a fine. All offenses took place in an apartment in Taman Malim Jaya on November 8, 2025.

In related proceedings, a Myanmar couple, Zaw Naing and Khin Saw Wai, received sentences of six and eight months imprisonment, respectively, for possessing a fake passport and travel document at the same location and date. Additionally, 18-year-old Muhammad Nur Hairul Boshar was fined RM5,000, with a default six-month imprisonment, for using a fake UNHCR card at the same site.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syaza Nur Sharif emphasized the importance of imposing an appropriate sentence due to the threat to national sovereignty posed by immigrant syndicates. San Lwin, Zaw Naing, and Khin Saw Wai were unrepresented, while Muhammad Nur Hairul was represented by counsel Shahrul Affandi.