Immigration Dept thwarts attempt to smuggle illegal immigrants

KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Immigration Department thwarted an attempt to smuggle four illegal immigrants to a neighbouring country with the arrest of a man in an operation at the Lembah Sireh Bus Station here yesterday.
Its director, Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff, said the suspect, aged 24, was arrested after the four illegal immigrants were getting into a vehicle he was driving.
"Preliminary investigation found that the four illegal immigrants were waiting for someone at the bus station and after two hours, the suspect arrived to pick them up.
"The Immigration personnel then introduced themselves. The suspect attempted to flee by running away, but was apprehended after a brief struggle," he said in a statement today.
He said the illegal immigrants, aged between 22 and 46, were Myanmar nationals, but did not have valid travel documents.
The illegal immigrants were sent to the Tanah Merah Immigration Detention depot for further investigation, while the suspect would be investigated under the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act. — Bernama