KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-eight foreigners had been detained in a Special Operation “Ops Gelombang 3” conducted by the Malaysian Immigration Department on 14th June 2023 at the Kota Bahru Bus Terminal, Kelantan.
Immigration director general, Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said, the operation was a follow-up of the success of “Ops Gelombang 2” conducted in March 2023. In the operation, the special team had detained 68 illegal immigrants aged 10 – 62 believed to have attempts to grab job opportunities illegally in the country.
He said the operation that started at 3.30pm was conducted by a team of officers from the Intelligence Division and Special Operation, Immigration Head Office Putrajaya and Kelantan State Immigration.
According to Ruslin, the detainees include 16 males and five females from Myanmar, two males from Pakistan; three Bangladeshi males; 10 Indonesian males, one male and five females from Vietnam while from India 11 males, 14 females and one male child.
“They were believed to have arrived at the neighbouring country before being transferred around the Kota Bahru Bus Terminal. Also arrested in the operation were three Malaysian males suspected to have played the role of transporters for the syndicate.
“Based on the public’s information and intelligence work for two months had found that the Modus Operandi of the syndicate was to smuggle the illegal immigrants via the illegal base at Malaysia-Thailand border,” Ruslin said in a statement.
Ruslin mentioned that the illegal immigrants will be taken to the specific destinations outside Kelantan and around Klang Valley. The mastermind of the syndicate is believed to have charged between RM6, 000 – RM7, 000 for every illegal immigrant to enter the country and they have been active since six months ago.
Meanwhile he said, the local transporter will be paid RM150-RM200 from every immigrant that is carried from the border to the bus terminal. All the illegal immigrants were detained suspected to have breached the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966.
“Three local males had been charged in the court and remanded for six days under Section 117 Criminal Procedure Code for investigation under Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (ATIPSOM) 2007.
“Following the operation, three multi-purpose vehicles with estimated value of RM50, 000 had been sealed for further action by the department. The department would like to thank members of the public for their cooperation until the syndicate has been busted. This shows that the slogan “Everybody is responsible for the national safety” has been taken up by the people,” Ruslin said. –Malaysia World News
