RANTAU PANJANG: A total of 165 foreigners were denied entry into Malaysia at the Rantau Panjang checkpoint since January after failing to meet immigration requirements.
Rantau Panjang Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) deputy commander Bakri Sulaiman said the majority of those turned away were Thai nationals.
“They were caught during routine inspections while attempting to enter the country via the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex here,” he said.
During the same period, the Rantau Panjang ICQS recorded 784,617 entries into Malaysia, while 855,564 travellers exited through the checkpoint.
Bakri said 14 Malaysians were also detained for offences involving cross-border movements and human smuggling.
“Six were arrested in May for bringing in undocumented migrants, while the remaining eight were detained last month for leaving the country without producing valid travel documents to the immigration officer on duty,” he said.
On another matter, Bakri said the Rantau Panjang MCBA seized various drugs and smuggled goods worth more than RM600,000 since January.
He said the seizures involved offences under several laws, including the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, the Customs Act 1967 and the Food Act 1983.
Bakri added that enforcement at the ICQS would be intensified to curb illegal crossings, human smuggling and contraband activities.
The Rantau Panjang ICQS was the first checkpoint in Kelantan to host MCBA operations. It has been fully operational since Jan 1 as a pilot project before the agency expanded nationwide.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
