SEMENYIH, Aug 27 — The General Operations Force (PGA) Central Brigade detained 317 individuals and seized various items worth RM18.9 million in Ops Nyah 1 and Ops Benteng Covid from early January to Aug 24 this year.
Its commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Abdul Halim said the enforcement agency conducted 107 raids in the west coast of Johor and the coast of Selangor.
He said the suspects comprised 100 local men and three local women as well as 177 foreign men and 37 foreign women, all aged between 20 and 60.
The foreign nationals were from Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal.
“The PGA also seized several types of vehicles worth RM7.5 million, contraband cigarettes (RM6.4 million) and liquor (RM2.3 million), drugs (RM1.4 million), endangered plants and species (RM83,560) as well as RM1.1 million cash,” he told a special press conference at the 4th Battalion Semenyih PGA camp here yesterday
Muhammad said the cases are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1963, Customs Act 1967, Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, National Forestry Act 1984/89, Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 and the Fisheries Act 1985.
In the same development, a total of 17 personnel from the PGA Central Brigade underwent Covid-19 screening tests and were quarantined at the camp following their involvement in the raids.
He said during Ops Benteng Covid, the PGA detained 18 illegal immigrants who had attempted to enter the country illegally at the Sekinchan fishing jetty in Selangor, and one of them was tested positive for the disease.
“Police later followed the standard operating procedures (SOP) where all personnel involved in the operation were screened and quarantined as a precautionary measure.
“Alhamdulillah, all the PGA members, as well as those detained in the raids, were tested negative for Covid-19,” he said.
— Bernama
