PUTRAJAYA, Dec 29 — The Immigration Department detained six Indonesians on suspicion of entering Malaysia illegally, in a special operation at the Southern Integrated Terminal (TBS), Kuala Lumpur, at about 5.20am yesterday.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, in a statement today, said they comprised five men and one woman, aged between 35 and 54.
“The operation by a team from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division was carried out following a tip-off that six illegal immigrants would be sent to Kuala Lumpur by bus.
“We believe they have just entered the country through an illegal route in Sungai Golok, Kelantan,” he said.
Elaborating, Khairul Dzaimee said the team had tracked the buses carrying the six individuals on the East Coast Highway before following them to TBS and inspecting all the passengers upon arrival.
Further checks found that the passports belonging to the six individuals had an exit stamp from the neighbouring country and an entry stamp from Malaysia, which were suspected to be fake.
He said the six illegal immigrants were also found to have been blacklisted from entering Malaysia based on past offences.
“All of them admitted that they did not undergo immigration checks when entering the country, while a syndicate handled passport-related matters while they were in the transit house,” Khairul Dzaimee said.
The illegal immigrants paid between RM5,000 and RM6,000 to the agent in their country of origin to manage their entry to Malaysia, with the aim of working with their former employer and finding a new job in Kuala Lumpur.
All six individuals are detained at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrant Act 2007.
— Bernama
