KUALA LUMPUR: In a last-ditch attempt to evade arrest along with three accomplices nabbed earlier for the smuggling of illegal immigrants, an agent of the trafficking syndicate tried his luck with RM50,000 to bribe a Malaysian border patrol but failed.
The attempt of the 24-year-old agent of a migrant smuggling syndicate led to a backlash when his offer was spurned by police officers on duty in Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan, which was carried out by a team from the Southeast Brigade and the 9th Battalion of the General Operations Force (GOF8) in Kota Bharu, Kelantan on Saturday (Dec 7).
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the border operation saw them arresting three men, aged 27 to 32 and suspected of being the ringleaders, after spotting three Honda Civic, Perodua Myvi and Ativa cars in a suspicious mode at the edge of a thicket along Jalan Sri Cemerlang in Kota Bharu at about 6.30 am.
According to him, 16 illegal immigrants from Myanmar - 11 men, four women and a child - were also detained in the operation.
“The interrogation of the three men led to the arrest of the syndicate agent near the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport.
“On the way to the police station, the agent pleaded to be released along with his three local henchmen and tried to hand over RM50,000 in cash to the operations officer, but was warned against doing so,“ he said when contacted.
Razarudin said the persistence of the agent with the lure of money ended with his arrest for action under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 while the police party also confiscated mobile phones, vehicles and RM50,000 cash in the operation.
“All the suspects were taken to the Kota Bharu police headquarters for investigations under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,“ he said.
