GOF detains 81 illegal immigrants in Tanjong Karang

SHAH ALAM: The Fourth Battalion of the General Operations Force (GOF) in Semenyih arrested 81 illegal immigrants and a local man in Batu 8 and Kampung Sungai Terap, Tanjong Karang, near here yesterday.

Its commanding officer, Supt Rizal Mohamed, said that the arrest of all the individuals was carried out following a patrol conducted by his team, who spotted a car driven in a suspicious manner at a petrol station in Batu 8.

As a result of the inspection on the vehicle, the police detained five foreign men, aged 34 to 37; two of them were alleged masterminds, while the rest were illegal immigrants, at around 4 am.

"Further investigation led the police team to residential premises in Kampung Sungai Terap, where we detained a 37-year-old local man, also believed to be a mastermind, along with 76 foreigners, aged 16 to 47, including seven women, around 5 am.

"Further investigation found that all those detained did not have any valid travel documents, and had just entered the country by sea," he said in a statement today.

He added that two vehicles, mobile phones of various brands and a total of RM3,439 in cash were also seized, with the estimated value amounting to RM52,274.

Rizal said that all those detained and the seized items were taken to the Tanjung Karang police station, for further action under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1963.

-- BERNAMA