Members of the Second Division with some of the detainees. – courtesy pic via BERNAMA
ALOR SETAR: The Army detained 29 undocumented Myanmar migrants, including a child, in Kubang Pasu district on Thursday (Feb 20).
The Second Malaysian Infantry Division (Second Division) headquarters said in a statement on Friday (Feb 21) that the arrests were made at 6.15pm around the Sixth Malaysian Infantry Brigade's area of responsibility.
"The operations team on patrol detected and detained a group of civilians behaving suspiciously in the forest near the Malaysia-Thailand border.
"An inspection found that all 29 did not have valid travel documents and were from Myanmar. A total of 15 men, 13 women and a girl were arrested," the statement read.
It said the detainees ranged in age from six to 41 years.
According to the Second Division report, cash, 19 mobile phones, a laptop and jewellery worth almost RM20,000 were also seized.
"Those detained have been handed over to the Bukit Kayu Hitam police station for further action. The Army remains committed to ensuring security at the country's borders and will not compromise on any cross-border criminal activities and smuggling.
"The operations team will continue to enhance patrols and control at the border," the statement added. – Bernama
