PASIR MAS: Police arrested 46 illegal immigrants from Myanmar in two separate raids in Jalan Pusu 40 and Kampung Sapi, Jeram Perdah here on Monday.

Pasir Mas district police chief ACP Mohd Nasaruddin M Nasir said all the individuals, aged between 11 and 44, were detained after failing to provide any valid documents and they were suspected to have just entered the country.

He said in the first raid at an unnumbered shop lot in Jalan Pusu 40 at 4.45 pm, police found one boy and five girls, aged 11 to 17 years, hiding in the premises.

"All of them failed to show valid identity documents to be in the country. They were taken to the Pasir Mas police station for further action," he said in a statement today.

Mohd Nasaruddin added that all the individuals admitted that they were smuggled in by a Thai man using a vehicle a day earlier and had been staying in the shop lot without the permission of any party.

Meanwhile, in a separate raid at about 10 pm in Kampung Sapi, Jeram Perdah, police arrested 40 Myanmar nationals consisting of 29 men and 11 women, aged between 14 and 44, who were found hiding in bushes.

"They tried to escape but failed and further checks found that they did not have any valid travel documents. They were suspected to have entered the country through the Jeram Perdah 2 illegal base before hiding in the bushes," he added.

Mohd Nasaruddin said all the immigrants were believed to be heading to Kuala Lumpur to work and further investigations were being carried out to track down the mastermind who would provide transport to ferry the foreign nationals.

The case would be investigated under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, he added.

-- BERNAMA