General Operations Force detains 52 undocumented Myanmar nationals and seizes seven vehicles in a major operation against a human smuggling syndicate in Kelantan.
KOTA BHARU: The General Operations Force (GOF) crippled a human smuggling syndicate with the detention of 52 undocumented Myanmar nationals at the Buloh Poh Highway exit in Kampung Buloh Poh, Melor, near yesterday.
Southeast Brigade GOF Commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the arrests were made at 6 am after intelligence gathering on smuggling activities in the area.
He said the GOF Battalion 9 task force and the Border Intelligence Unit (URS) intercepted seven vehicles during the operation. The vehicles were believed to be used to transport the migrants and were driven by Myanmar nationals.
“The seized vehicles included three Perodua Aruz, a Toyota Rush, a Perodua Alza, a Toyota Cross, and a Proton X70.
“Checks revealed that the vehicles were transporting 52 Myanmar nationals, comprising 37 men and 15 women aged between 18 and 40,” he said when contacted.
Ahmad Radzi said preliminary investigations found the migrants entered the country by sea. They landed on the banks of Sungai Kelantan before being transported to Kuala Lumpur and to several West Coast states. The migrants paid RM300 for domestic transit and over RM4,500 to agents in Myanmar to enter Malaysia.
All detainees will be handed over to the Kota Bharu District Police Headquarters (IPD) for further action after the documentation process at the Ketereh Police Station is completed.
