PUTRAJAYA, Sept 14 — The Immigration Department has crippled a human trafficking syndicate smuggling undocumented Pakistani immigrants into the country through Thailand after the arrest of eight Pakistani men during Ops Gelombang IV in Kelantan on Monday.
Its director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh in a statement today said the mastermind in his 50s, a Long-Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) holder is the husband of a Malaysian citizen, and a transporter in his 30s who holds a valid Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS), were among the individuals arrested.
The syndicate smuggles undocumented Pakistani immigrants on flights to Thailand and then takes them through illegal routes across the Malaysia-Thailand border. Preliminary investigations found that the syndicate is believed to have been active since May last year.
“The mastermind charges fees ranging from RM6,000 to RM7,000 per immigrant and transports them to specific destinations outside Kelantan, such as the Klang Valley, Melaka, Penang, and Johor Baru,” he said, adding that the syndicate has been involved in smuggling Pakistani individuals seeking illegal job opportunities and targeting local women for marriage.
During the operation, two teams from Putrajaya Immigration Headquarters and Kelantan Immigration Department were deployed to separate locations, with the first team following a vehicle believed to be used by the syndicate to transport recently smuggled undocumented immigrants.
The team successfully intercepted the vehicle used by the syndicate in Pasir Mas and arrested three Pakistani men, including the transporter and the smuggled individuals, he said.
Ruslin said the second team raided a house in Pasir Tumboh, Kota Baru, suspected to be the transit point for immigrants, and detained five male residents, including the mastermind.
During the raid, they also confiscated RM2,000 in cash, eight Pakistani passports without entry stamps into Malaysia, a multi-purpose vehicle, and a sedan suspected to have been used for these activities.
The mastermind and transporter have been arrested and are currently under investigation under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Atipsom) 2007, while, six individuals believed to be victims of smuggling have been detained under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Passport Act 1966 at the Tanah Merah Immigration Depot. — Bernama
