Immigration arrests 4 smugglers, 35 Myanmar nationals in Kota Bharu after 3-month investigation
PETALING JAYA: Immigration officers have dismantled a migrant-smuggling operation allegedly led by a local man known as “Mat Sero”, with trafficking Myanmar nationals into the Klang Valley for fees as low as RM400 to RM500 per person.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, in a statement today, said the operation was conducted at 5.52am on Dec 8 in Kota Bharu Kelantan.
The operation followed three months of intelligence gathering, as the operation team managed to intercept eight vehicles, believed to have been used to transport the migrants.
Zakaria said the transporters attempted to break through the operation cordon during checks.
“Based on information and intelligence for three months, the operations team was mobilised to the location of a public parking area and managed to stop eight vehicles believed to have been used to transport undocumented migrants.
“During the inspection, this group of ‘transporters’ acted aggressively and tried to escape by speeding off in their vehicles and ramming several other vehicles, including those belonging to the operations team, but they were successfully intercepted.
“There were also foreign nationals who managed to exit the vehicles and attempted to escape by hiding in nearby bushes, but they were successfully located by the operations team.”
Zakaria explained the syndicate’s modus operandi, which he said formed a routine network from Kelantan’s border routes to the Klang Valley.
“The syndicate brought in undocumented migrants through rat routes along the Kelantan border via a Myanmar transporter, and subsequently these migrants will be handed over to local transporters to be taken to predetermined locations around the Klang Valley.
“The fee charged is around RM400 to RM500 per person depending on the travel distance. This syndicate was detected operating every week and is believed to have been active for the past six months.”
Four men identified as transporters were arrested, where three of them were Malaysians led by “Mat Sero” and another a Myanmar national.
Officers also detained 35 Myanmar nationals, conisiting of 22 men, 12 women, and a girl, aged between 5 and 45.
Zakaria said the four arrested transporters were detained under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, while the 35 migrants were detained under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Investigations are ongoing, with officers working to trace the remaining members of the syndicate.
