MIGRANT SMUGGLING: POLICE DETAIN 42 INCLUDING LOCAL TRANSPORTER

SHAH ALAM, March 5 (Bernama) -- Police arrested 42 individuals, including a local man believed to be acting as a transporter, in two separate arrests in Sekinchan and Sabak Bernam this week, in an effort to combat migrant smuggling activities in Selangor.

Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the first arrest was made at a petrol station in Sekinchan on Monday, after his team stopped a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

He said that the inspection found a local man believed to be acting as a transporter, transporting six foreign men and three women suspected of having entered the country through an unauthorised route.

"The suspects are aged between 34 and 53 years old. The police also seized an MPV vehicle, a set of keys, two mobile phones and an identity card," he said at a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters here today.

Shazeli said the second arrest was made at 3.30 am earlier today following a raid on an oil palm plantation in Sabak Bernam, which led to the detention of 32 foreign nationals, comprising 15 men, 14 women and three children, all aged between one and 52 years.

He said the operation involved the Selangor police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), along with the Bukit Aman Air Wing drone unit, the General Operations Force (GOF) Battalion 1, and the CID of the Sabak Bernam district police headquarters.

"The police will continue to enhance operations to ensure the safety and sovereignty of the country's borders are always protected from any cross-border criminal activities," he also said.

The case is being investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007 and Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

-- BERNAMA