KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Immigration Department (MID) via “Ops Gelombang IV” had blasted syndicate smuggling in eight undocumented Pakistanis aged 30-50 on 11th Sept. 2023 at various locations in Kelantan.
Malaysian Immigration Director General, Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said, the modus operandi of the syndicate was that illegal immigrants from Pakistan were flown via aeroplane to Thailand.
“The illegal immigrants were then brought to the illegal base crossing the Malaysia-Thailand border. The syndicate’s mastermind was believed to charge them between RM6, 000-RM7, 000 for every illegal immigrant to enter Malaysia.
“All the illegal immigrants will then be taken outside Kelantan such as Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru. Based on the intelligence’s information two operational teams had been sent to two separate locations.
“The first team had followed a vehicle used by the syndicate to carry the illegal immigrants who had just been smuggled in. The operational team had succeeded in stopping the vehicle in Pasir Mas and detained three Pakistanis consisting of the transporter and the illegal immigrants,” said Ruslin in the statement.
Meanwhile, the second team had ambushed a house at Pasir Tumboh, Kota Bharu that was believed to be the transit for illegal immigrants and five males from Pakistan including the mastermind were detained. The team also seized RM2,000, eight copies of Pakistan passports that have no “Enter Malaysia Stamp” one multi-purpose vehicle and a sedan car used for smuggling.
The statement added the mastermind of the first syndicate was a male Pakistani and holder of the Long Term Social Visit Husband to a Citizen while the transporter was also a Pakistani and the holder of the Temporary Work Visit Pass (PLKS) that is still valid.
“The syndicate was believed to be active since May 2022 and in the early investigation found that the syndicate had smuggled illegal immigrants from Pakistan and tried to get jobs illegally and targeting local females to be their wives in this country,” said the statement.
According to the statement, the first mastermind and transporter were detained as believed to have engaged in an offence under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) 2007 while the other six male Pakistanis were detained alleged for an offence under Immigration Act 1959/63 and Passport Act 1966.
“All of them were detained at Tanah Merah Immigration Depot for investigation and further actions,” the statement said. –Malaysia World News
