PETALING JAYA: A Cambodian man believed to be a human trafficker has been detained by the Immigration Department at the Shah Alam Bus Terminal.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said that the 47-year-old man was arrested while allegedly bringing five Myanmar nationals from a state bordering Thailand to Kuala Lumpur.
"They were detained following a special operation which was conducted at around 7pm on Sunday (Oct 16).
"Our personnel from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division received information that an agent was bringing in the five illegal immigrants.
"The three women and two men aged between 18 and 44 were believed to have entered Malaysia from Thailand through a smugglers’ trail," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 18).
He said the six individuals were detained as soon as they came out of the bus terminal.
"Our checks revealed the Myanmar nationals did not have any documents and interrogations revealed they came into the country on Saturday (Oct 15) through a non-gazetted road.
"The Cambodian man entered the country in July this year using a social pass," he said, adding that the syndicate was believed to have started operations as soon as the borders reopened.
He added that checks revealed an agent across the border would charge each illegal immigrant between RM5,000 and RM6,000 to make arrangements to send them across the border undetected.
"The agent in Malaysia would then be paid between RM300 and RM500 to smuggle them across the border.
"The six have been sent to the Immigration Detention Depot in Putrajaya while we investigated the case under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act and Immigration Act," he said.
