http://ktva.com/alaska/ci_4862029

Judge sentences alien smuggler
Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 12/18/2006 02:16:06 PM AKST

A 30-year-old woman convicted of smuggling people into the United States through Anchorage has been sentenced to five years in prison. Betsy Lim is a citizen of Singapore who now lives in Malaysia. U.S. Attorney Nelson Cohen says she was sentenced Friday before U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Beistline.

Prosecutors say Lim charged three Chinese aliens 73,000 dollars apiece and smuggled them into the country in July. Prosecutors say Lim provided them with English language instruction, western clothing and false passports.

Prosecutors say they flew to Bangkok, Thailand, then to Malaysia, where they met Lim. They then flew to Taipei, Taiwan, and Anchorage with the intent of continuing to New York.

They were stopped in Anchorage after Customs and Border Patrol officers found one of the Chinese aliens was traveling with a fraudulent passport. According to prosecutors, Lim had previously smuggled 22 illegal aliens to the United States in nine trips. Prosecutors say the whereabouts of those aliens is NOT known.