Mother and daughter avoid jail over failed people smuggling attempt in remote WA

Key points

• Three Chinese nationals have avoided immediate jail over a failed people smuggling attempt at a remote air base in Western Australia's far north. Shyuan Hong, 56, her 34-year-old daughter Zhongfang Zhang and Shuai Sun were each given a three-year suspended sentence in a Sydney court.
• Border Force detected the group after a boat arrived in April 2024 near Truscott Airbase, though several men walked into the base unintercepted.
• The court heard the trio tried to bring Hong's husband and Zhang's boyfriend into Australia undetected, but the pair were later detained.