KUANTAN: Five individuals including two local men suspected of migrant smuggling were arrested in Raub following an 80-kilometre car chase yesterday.
Raub district police chief Superintendent Mohd Shahril Abdul Rahman confirmed the suspects were apprehended in front of the Dong Police Station around 10.15 am after their vehicle crashed.
A patrol team from Gua Musang District Police Headquarters initially detected a suspicious Proton Preve carrying five individuals along Jalan Tanah Putih in Gua Musang, Kelantan.
The driver refused to stop when ordered by police and accelerated away, prompting an immediate pursuit.
The suspects’ vehicle eventually crashed in front of the Dong Police Station after colliding with a traffic light pole and another car.
Initial investigations revealed the two local male suspects worked as transporters for migrants, receiving payment to ferry foreign nationals from Kelantan to Kuala Lumpur.
Police checks discovered three Indonesian women without valid travel documents inside the vehicle during the arrest.
Authorities also found 34 pills suspected to be yaba and a packet believed to contain syabu during their search.
Further investigation revealed the car’s registration number was counterfeit and not genuine.
The case is being investigated under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
Additional charges are being pursued under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for immigration violations.
The suspects also face investigation under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug-related offences. – Bernama
