Nearly 200 foreign travellers denied entry at KLIA in sweep

New Straits Times

24-07-2025

SEPANG: A total of 198 foreign nationals were denied entry into Malaysia yesterday during a large-scale enforcement sweep at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
The operation was part of ongoing efforts by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) to dismantle syndicates facilitating illegal entry.
MCBA director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the coordinated operation, carried out from early morning to 5pm at both KLIA Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, was executed with the support of behavioural profiling teams and stealth surveillance officers.
"This operation demonstrates our commitment to blocking unlawful entry at the earliest point of contact, via the international main gateway," he said.
At Terminal 1, he said officers intercepted 128 individuals. The majority comprised 123 Bangladeshi nationals (120 men and three women), along with two Pakistani men, one Syrian man, and two Indonesian nationals. They had arrived on flights originating from Bangladesh, Vietnam and Pakistan.
Shuhaily said the travellers mostly failed to provide valid documentation, clear travel intentions, or proof of financial means during inspection.
"These are classic red flags of non-genuine travellers. Many had no accommodation plans and could not explain their presence here, which strongly aligns with what we've observed in smuggling attempts," he said during a press conference at KLIA on Thursday night.
An additional 70 passengers were denied entry at Terminal 2. They included 51 Indonesians, 13 Indians, four Pakistanis, and two Vietnamese nationals.
"All individuals were designated Not-To-Land (NTL) under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and will be repatriated on the next available flights. Airlines are required to bear the full cost of return, in line with international aviation and immigration compliance protocols," he added.
Shuhaily said the operation forms part of MCBA's "early interdiction" strategy, where officers are trained to detect suspicious individuals before they reach immigration counters, using behavioural cues, intelligence, and discreet monitoring.
He added that ongoing surveillance had also disrupted "counter-setting" tactics where syndicates tried to bypass standard inspection channels.
"This model works. Over the past month, we've successfully intercepted several waves of attempted illegal entries, which would have otherwise gone undetected," he said.
Shuhaily said this was a long-standing problem that he intended to solve and address with the help of his officers in MCBA. He also attributed the success to the enforcement teams working tirelessly on the ground.
Shuhaily stressed that while Malaysia remains open to genuine visitors, the country's border integrity must not be compromised.
"Our priority is national security, and we will not allow syndicates to abuse our hospitality or exploit vulnerable individuals for unlawful purposes," he said.