PUTRAJAYA: A total of 31 Malaysians who fell victim to an online job scam syndicate in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been safely repatriated, reports Sinar Harian.
Wisma Putra said the Foreign Ministry, through the Malaysian embassies in Bangkok and Yangon, successfully facilitated the repatriation of the 31 Malaysian nationals, the Malay language daily reported.
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The group arrived safely at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex (ICQS) in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, at 6:50pm Saturday (Dec 20) and were handed over to the Royal Malaysia Police for further investigation.
"Their identities were confirmed earlier by officials from the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok during a previous repatriation operation in early December.
"Their return could not be immediately arranged due to local immigration laws concerning illegal entry. However, thanks to the efforts and negotiations by the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok and the assistance of the Tak Immigration authorities, the group was released under Thailand's National Referral Mechanism (NRM) on Friday (Dec 19)," Sinar Harian quoted Wisma Putra as saying in a statement Saturday.
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Earlier, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan indicated that the process of bringing back the victims stranded at the Myanmar-Thailand border was expected to take at least two weeks.
He explained that this was due to detention processes, court actions, fines, and temporary holds over them due to their illegal entry into Thailand.
Following their release, Wisma Putra noted that comprehensive consular assistance was provided, including notifying family members, issuing temporary travel documents, coordinating logistics, providing basic necessities, and escorting them throughout the 26-hour journey from Mae Sot, Tak Province, to Bukit Kayu Hitam.
Furthermore, the operation is part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to safeguard the welfare of Malaysians abroad, especially those victimised by job and online scam syndicates.
"The success of this operation is due to the close cooperation between Home Ministry, the Immigration Department of Malaysia, the Malaysian Border Control Agency (AKPS), the police, the Malaysian embassies in Bangkok and Yangon, and the Malaysian consulate-general in Songkhla.
"The ministry extends its deepest appreciation to the Government of Thailand and the authorities in Myanmar for their strong cooperation in facilitating and expediting the repatriation of these 31 Malaysian nationals," the statement added.
