PONTIAN: Police crippled a human trafficking syndicate with the arrest of eight suspects – two local men, five Indonesian men and an Indonesian woman believed to be the syndicate members.
Pontian OCPD Supt Hadzrat Hussien Mion Hussain said they were nabbed in a joint operation codenamed Ops Pintas involving teams from the Pontian Police, Kukup Marine Police and Iskandar Puteri Police.
The operation took place in several areas in Rambah, Kampung Perpat Timbul and Permas in Pontian and Kampung Melayu in Gelang Patah from midnight to 5.30am on Tuesday (May 5).
“We have been monitoring and observing their activities for about two weeks before deciding to conduct the operation,’’ Supt Hadzrat Hussien said in a statement.
He said the syndicate was involved in human trafficking and migrant smuggling activities using the uncharted routes.
Supt Hadzrat Hussein said it is believed that one of the detained Indonesian men was a transporter, while another Indonesian man and a local man acted as land captain and caretaker of the transit home to hide the illegal migrants.
He said another Indonesian male was the boat captain and another Malaysian man was the boat assistant assigned to wait for the illegal immigrants at the beach.
“We also detained eight men and three women of illegal Indonesian migrants,’’ said Supt Hadzrat Hussein, adding all the detainees, including the eight syndicate members aged between 44 and 52 years old.
Police also seized a car, a multipurpose vehicle, two sets of vehicle keys and remote controls, a fibre boat with 40hp and 17 mobile phones.
Supt Hadzrat Hussien said the case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007 (Act 670).
