A taxi driver has been detained by the Marine Police for transporting illegal immigrants who had just arrived into the country.
JOHOR BARU: A taxi driver was arrested for transporting six illegal immigrants who had just arrived into the country.
Marine police Southern Region 2 commander Asst Comm Paul Khiu Khon Chiang said the six Indonesian men were among the 83 illegal immigrants who had been arrested in two separate raids.
During the first incident, Pengerang Markas tactical team noticed the taxi heading towards Sungai Tengah at around 3.30pm.
“Upon inspection, we discovered that all the passengers, aged between 23 to 53 years, did not possess any valid travelling documents and admitted that they had just entered the country,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday.
ACP Khiu said in the second raid, 77 illegal immigrants including a five-year-old boy, were arrested for trying to exit the country via an illegal waterway.
“All of the suspects were hiding in a forest near Pantai Batu Layar in Sungai Rengit while waiting for a boat to transport them back to their country,” he said.
He added that all of the suspects, including the Malaysian taxi driver were brought to the Bandar Penawar station for further action.
ACP Khiu said that the case is being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Amendment 2002) for not possessing legal documentation to enter and leave the country through gazetted routes.
“We are also investigating the case under Section 6(1)(c) of the same act for failing to produce proper travel documents or having expired passports and leaving Malaysia through an illegal exit point and Section 15(5) for overstaying,” he said.
He added that the taxi driver was arrested under Section 27 J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007.
