Three alleged people smugglers charged

(AAP) - Three Indonesian men accused of helping smuggle asylum seekers into Australia have been arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

An AFP spokesman said the men were crewing a boat carrying 31 passengers that was
intercepted north of Bathurst and Melville islands on May 11.
They were escorted from the Christmas Island detention centre on Friday to appear in
Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday.
The three each face a maximum penalty of 20 years, a $220,000 fine, or both, if
convicted on charges of facilitating the bringing of five or more non-citizens into
Australia.
Their arrests followed a Perth District Court hearing on Friday for 11 Indonesian
men charged with the same offence.
Perth lawyer David McKenzie appeared on behalf of the men, aged between 19 and 55,
who are being held at Perth's Hakea prison.
Samsir Ali Topan, Achmad Muklis, Hamirudin, Soltan Ele, Junaidi, Ade Haidar, Mimu,
Tasri Laode, Arman, Arsil and Yan Tonce will appear in the Perth District Court on
July 1.
Their cases involve a total of four boats which allegedly carried asylum seekers
into Australian waters between September last year and January.