Kelantan Immigration arrests two local men and five Myanmar nationals in a smuggling syndicate crackdown, foiling a river transit attempt.
KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan Immigration Department has arrested two local men and five illegal immigrants in a crackdown on a migrant smuggling syndicate.
The operation, conducted under Ops Serkap around Kota Bharu, took place on Sunday and Monday.
Its deputy director Nik Akhtarulhaq Nik Abdul Rahman said the five immigrants comprised two men and three women from Myanmar, aged 20 to 40.
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He said they were believed to have been brought into the country through an illegal base in Sungai Golok.
They then boarded a boat to Gok Kapur Jetty in Sungai Kelantan in an apparent attempt to evade authorities.
“All the foreigners were subsequently taken to a transit point in Kampung Raja Seksyen Dua, but immigration officers, through surveillance and intelligence, foiled their attempt,” he said.
The five immigrants are now detained at the Tanah Merah Immigration Depot for further investigation.
They are being held under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Nik Akhtarulhaq said the two local men arrested were believed to have acted as transporters in the smuggling network.
They are being investigated under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
He stressed that the department would not compromise with any party, particularly locals involved in smuggling activities or harbouring undocumented migrants.
The public was urged to report any activities involving illegal immigrants to aid enforcement efforts in the state. – Bernama
