PUTRAJAYA, Oct 18 — The Immigration Department has crippled a migrant smuggling syndicate masterminded by a Cambodian man in a special operation at the Shah Alam Bus Terminal in Selangor on Sunday (October 16).
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the 47-year-old mastermind was detained together with five Myanmar nationals — two men and three women — aged between 18 and 44 when they exited the bus terminal at 7pm.
“Investigations revealed that all the Myanmar nationals did not have any travel documents and, upon further interrogation, it was found that they had just arrived in the country on Saturday (October 15) using illegal routes.
“They are also believed to have entered the country through rat routes at the Malaysia-Thailand border,” he said in a statement today.
Khairul Dzaimee added the Cambodian man, believed to be acting as a smuggling agent, was found to have entered the country in July using a Social Visit Pass (PLS).
He said the syndicate was found to have started operating since the country’s borders were reopened in April by charging between RM5,000 and RM6,000 for every illegal immigrant.
Khairul Dzaimee said all the foreigners are being detained at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot and investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1959/63.
— Bernama
