SEPANG: Sixteen Indonesian nationals were ordered to return home immediately after Malaysian authorities foiled their attempt to enter the country illegally using a transit route at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 on Tuesday (Aug 5).
The group, consisting of men and women aged between 30 and 57, had arrived from Surabaya, Indonesia, with their final flight destination listed as Hatyai, Thailand.
The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) said further interrogation and checks through the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) revealed that 15 of them had previously been blacklisted for overstaying, while one individual failed to present valid identification documents.
"Investigations showed that their modus operandi involved hiring agents, or 'tekong', to enter Malaysia under the guise of transit passengers.
"From there, they planned to cross into Thailand and later re-enter Malaysia through illegal routes at the northern border," the agency said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 6).
All individuals were served with a Notice of Refusal of Entry (NTL) and deported back to Indonesia on the same day.
In a separate development, AKPS also detected a frontline enforcement officer at the reference counter in Terminal 2, who had allegedly stamped the entry of an Indian national without fulfilling the required immigration procedures.
The officer has since been referred to the Integrity Unit for further investigation.
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COURTS CRIME
