Authorities have dismantled a suspected human smuggling operation after 20 undocumented Myanmar nationals were arrested at a transit house in Chabang Empat, Tumpat on Saturday, believed to have paid up to RM8,000 each to enter Malaysia illegally.
Briged Tenggara Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain, said the group comprised six women and 14 men aged between 19 and 36, who were detained during a 1.15pm raid carried out by the Strike Force team.
He said the operation was conducted based on intelligence gathered by Strike Force Company C, with support from Company B and the 9th Battalion General Operations Force (PGA) intelligence unit.
“Checks found that all individuals failed to produce valid travel documents. Initial investigations suggest they entered Malaysia via non-gazetted routes from Thailand, using river paths with the assistance of agents,” he said in a statement.
Authorities believe each individual paid around RM8,000 to a syndicate to enter the country, with the intention of working as construction labourers.
All detainees have been handed over to the District Criminal Investigation Division of the Tumpat Police Headquarters for further action.
In a separate operation, two additional undocumented migrants from Thailand were arrested during a patrol in Kampung Kedap, Rantau Panjang on Friday.
The pair, a 16-year-old male and a 17-year-old female, were detained at around 6.15pm after behaving suspiciously near the Miji illegal landing area.
Investigations revealed that both had been working as cooks at a food establishment in Pasir Gudang, Johor since early 2024, despite lacking valid travel documents and entry stamps into Malaysia.
They were later brought to the PGA Tactical Operations Centre at Taman Bakti before being handed over to the Pasir Mas District Police Headquarters for further investigation.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963, with the second case also involving Section 5(2) of the same Act.
