PASIR PUTEH: A total of 37 foreign nationals were arrested for various offences in an integrated operation conducted simultaneously at five deep-sea fishing jetty locations in Tok Bali here today.
Kelantan Immigration director Mohamed Yusoff Khan Mohd Hassan said those detained comprised 13 men and two women from Myanmar, 11 men from Vietnam, seven men from Thailand, and two men each from Laos and Cambodia.
“All detainees, aged between 21 and 52, were found to have committed offences such as lacking valid identification documents under Section 6(1)(c) and overstaying under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“We also screened 262 foreign nationals, mostly fishermen staying at Kampung Pak Mayong and Gong Kulim jetties,” he told reporters after the operation.
A total of 126 officers and personnel from the Immigration Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) carried out the nearly four-hour operation.
Mohamed Yusoff Khan said other violations included the misuse of social visit passes to work on fishing boats, an offence under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
“In this operation, MMEA also deployed five boats to block the river areas near the jetties to prevent foreign nationals from escaping or jumping into the river.
“All detainees have been taken to the Kota Bharu Immigration Department office for further investigation,” he said.
He added that eight foreign nationals — six from Vietnam and two from Thailand — were also detained by AADK after being found positive for methamphetamine in urine screening tests.
