GOF nabs 36 undocumented Myanmar migrants in Rantau Panjang

New Straits Times

12 hours ago

RANTAU PANJANG: The General Operations Force (GOF) nabbed 36 undocumented migrants from Myanmar after stopping a tour bus in an operation in Serongga here today.
Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abd Hamid said the Myanmar nationals were arrested about 6.30am following public tip-offs received around midnight.
He said a GOF team from the Eighth Battalion, comprising one officer and seven personnel, stopped the bus and found 37 people onboard, including the 37-year-old Malaysian driver.
The Myanmar nationals comprise 34 men and two women, aged 20s to 40s.
Ros Azhan said the Myanmar nationals told GOF personnel that they were on their way to work at a rice factory in Kampung Tok Deh near the border.
"Checks revealed that no such factory exists."
He said only four of the Myanmar nationals had passports, but they were all empty and had no immigration stamps.
"This indicates that the four did not enter Malaysia legally. After interrogation, they admitted to slipping into the country illegally several years ago."
He said another Myanmar national had an expired passport, while the remaining 31 had no travel documents at all.
Ros Azhan said the driver, who acted as a 'tekong' (agent), admitted to receiving RM2,300 to transport the Myanmar nationals from Meru, Klang, to Kelantan.
"The driver claimed the group was picked up from a factory in Meru to be sent to Kelantan, supposedly to work in rice packing, involving 5kg and 10kg bags of Thai rice.
"All of them were detained and handed over to Pasir Mas police for further action."