12,000 illegals nabbed in Ops Benteng since last year

No illegal entry: Undocumented immigrants being rounded up during a raid by the immigration department in Petaling Jaya Old Town, Selangor in this file photo.

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 12,000 undocumented immigrants have been detained while 922 ‘tekong’ (skippers) were nabbed by the National Task Force (NTF) led by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) since last year, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said between May 1 last year and Feb 26 this year, the NTF seized 319 boats and 1,465 land vehicles used by smugglers in an operation codenamed Ops Benteng.