Three locals nabbed trying to smuggle nine immigrants into Sarawak

Illegal immigrants arrested in the second case.

LUNDU (June 30): A total of nine illegal immigrants were arrested while trying to be smuggled in by three local men in two separate operations yesterday.

Lundu District Police Chief DSP Damataries Lautin said the first case was reported in Jalan Lundu-Sematan at around 5.30am.

According to him, members from the General Operations Force (PGA) 11th Battalion had detained a sports utility vehicle (SUV) type car after it was seen in a suspicious condition.

“Further inspection found that the car was driven by a 28-year-old man and there was another 18-year-old man sitting in the front passenger seat, each from Kampung Pasir Tengah, Lundu.

“Besides that, there were five men in the back passenger seat, all of whom were Indonesian nationals and were found not to have any valid travel documents,” he said in a statement, today.

He added that all the illegal immigrants involved were between 18 and 20 years old and were from Sambas, Indonesia and entered the state using illegal entry routes to the country.

“Preliminary investigation found that all of them gave reasons to enter the state to find work on the Kampung Serayan farm here (in Lundu),” he said.

Damataries also revealed that the operation team also found about 3.08 grammes of syabu drugs as well as scales and it was handed over to the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the second arrest by the PGA was at the junction of Kampung Perian, Jalan Lundu-Bau at around 5.45 am.

“Members of PGA detained a car and found it driven by a 32 -year -old man from Kampung Selampit, Lundu.

“Further examination found that there were four Indonesian men aged between 23 and 45 in the car who did not have valid travel documents,” he said.

Following that, all nine illegal immigrants and three locals detained in the operation were taken to Lundu Hospital for a Covid-19 swab and confirmed negative.

The nine illegal immigrants were also detained for further investigation under Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

The three locals who acted as ground coordinators (tekong darat) were detained for further investigation under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007.

It is understood that under the Atipsom act, the sentence, if convicted, can be imprisonment for up to 15 years and fine or both depending on the court’s decision.

“Operations to curb the entry of foreigners will continue to be tightened and continued to control illegal entry to the country,” Damataries said.

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