Immigration busts migrant trafficking syndicate in Selangor

The Immigration Department of Malaysia busted the syndicate Geng Broga believed to be involved in the illegal trafficking of Indonesians during an operation in Sungai Besar and Sabak Bernam, Selangor, yesterday.

Immigration Department director-general Ruslin Jusoh in a statement today said a team of enforcement officers from the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya, found 12 Indonesians during the operation that started at 8.05pm.

Based on public tip-off and surveillance carried out by the department, the operation team chanced upon three suspicious vehicles - a Perodua Alza, a Perodua Bezza, and a Proton Waja - driven by three suspects.

“All three drivers of the vehicles tried to speed off from the location but the team managed to block their attempt and detain the three suspects.

“Initial investigations revealed that one of the drivers was the ‘mastermind’, aged 47, while two others were ‘transporters’ aged 31 and 40,” he said, adding that two men, a woman and a child, all Indonesians, were also detained.

Following information obtained from initial investigations and interrogation, officers were placed at a mangrove area in Sabak Bernam and the team managed to detain eight Indonesians who had just arrived from Indonesia by sea.

He said the total number of people detained was 15, aged between five and 52.

Ruslin said five Indonesian passports, RM6,200 cash and the three vehicles mentioned above were seized.

He said the modus operandi of the syndicate was to use the sea to smuggle in Indonesians from Tanjung Balai in Indonesia to Sungai Besar, Selangor using fishing vessels and later transfer them to smaller boats before bringing them to the shores.

“The ‘mastermind’ of the syndicate makes all the arrangements and the charges range from RM1,500 to RM2,500 according to gender. The syndicate is believed to have been operating for a year now,” he said.

- Bernama

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