Illegal migrants detained in Kelantan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Immigration Department crippled a human-trafficking syndicate and arrested 51 undocumented immigrants in an operation code named Ops Gelombang V in Kota Baru, Kelantan, last Wednesday.

Its director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said those arrested were 43 Indian nationals including four women, two Pakistani men, two Thai women and four Thai boys. He said the immigrants, aged between two and 60 years, were arrested at 10.20am in a raid conducted at a budget hotel that was used by the syndicate as a transit house.

“Also arrested were five local men consisting of the hotel owner, two caretakers of the premises and two transporters. All of them, aged between 23 and 57 years, are suspected to be members of the syndicate,” he said in a statement yesterday.

All the immigrants were sent to the Tanah Merah Immigration Depot while the five local men are on remand for six days to assist in the investigation, according to Bernama.