LUNDU: Nine foreigners, including three women, have been ordered to return back to their country of origin after being caught entering Sarawak illegally, yesterday (Oct 27).
The First Infantry Division said that their entries were thwarted in two incidents at 7.45am and 12.45pm in Biawak.
A team of Malaysian and Indonesian soldiers encountered a foreign man in the morning, and a group of eight foreigners in the afternoon, who were walking from the Indonesia border into the state.
“The foreigners, aged between 24 and 43, were detained for inspections after entering the country via an illegal route, about 350 metres and 245 metres from the border.
“Examinations also did not find any prohibited or dangerous items among the foreigners’ possessions except a sum of cash, phones, wallets and clothes with a total value of RM6,077,” the division said.
Following checks, all of them were escorted to the state’s border to be deported back to Indonesia.
To date, the army has deported a total of 187 foreigners after catching them entering Sarawak illegally.
The army assured that they are committed to tightened border control and safeguard the state’s sovereignty from any illegal entries or cross-border crimes.
