0 Malaysian police arrest Indonesian illegal immigrants

Forty eight illegal immigrants from Indonesia were arrested and detained by Malaysian police after they hid for three days in palm oil plantations in Tanjung Balau, Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi, Johor. The illegal immigrants, 44 men and four women, had been hiding in the plantations since March 9 after their tekong (local broker) asked them to assemble at the location with the promise to take them to Batam on March 11. 

However, the tekong did not arrive and so to avoid detention by the Penawar police apprehended they hid. The group was arrested on Monday, the local media in Kuala Lumpur reported on Thursday. Kota Tinggi police chief, Superintendent Md Nor Rasid, said the illegal immigrants were aged between three to 40 years old. The police investigated the plantations after a tip-off from local residents. 

“They were brought to Bandar Penawar police station for a documenting process before being detained at Kota Tinggi police station. They were provided with food and water,” he said, adding that the police were searching the tekong responsible for bringing them to the location. Md Nor urged foreigners to not seek help from tekong for passage back home, he said embassies should be the first point of call because there were certain mechanisms involved when sending illegal immigrants, with no legal documents, home. 

“It is dangerous trying to leave a county illegally. The tekong could also face punishment,” he said, adding that the police were still investigating the case in accordance with the 1959/63 Immigration Law. Meanwhile, five Indonesians were arrested in the Ops 6P operation jointly conducted by the Selangor Immigration Office and the Home Affairs Ministry in seven different locations around Puchong and Damansara City. 

The office’s deputy chief of operation, Othman Montil, said 32 foreigners were arrested during the operation. “They are 17 Nepalese, seven Pakistanis, five Indonesians, and three Sri Lankans. They are aged between 20 to 47 years,” he said. Othman said that they were arrested because they did not have legal travel and work documents. They were brought to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)’s immigration detention center in Sepang for further investigation. 

“We will investigate them using Section 6(1) of the 1959/63 Immigration Law. If proven guilty, they could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a 10,000 Ringgit fine or six times lashes,” said Othman. (ian/ebf)

source : the jakarta post