KOTA BARU: A total of 84 Malaysians were detained last year for entering the country through illegal routes along the Malaysia-Thailand border, the General Operations Force (GOF) said.
GOF Southeast Brigade commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the arrests, mostly in the Rantau Panjang area, involved Malays (73), Chinese (6), Siamese (4) and one Indian.
They were among 133 people detained for illegal entry via the Golok River in 2025, with the remaining 49 comprising Thai, Myanmar nationals and one Palestinian.
“All suspects were detained under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 during a series of Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan operations conducted throughout the year,” Ahmad Radzi said.
In a separate operation, GOF personnel also detained 605 undocumented migrants, including 355 from Myanmar, 84 from Bangladesh, 65 from Thailand and 40 from Indonesia.
The remainder were from Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, Cambodia and Afghanistan.
A recent check along the Golok River found quiet waters, with no passenger boats observed.
Several men were seen on the Thai side, believed to be waiting to transport goods across the river illegally.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
