KUCHING: The General Operations Force (GOF) successfully foiled two attempts to smuggle in 13 Indonesians at the Sarawak-Kalimantan border over the weekend.
Sarawak Commissioner of Police Datuk Aidi Ismail confirmed that the 13 illegal immigrants were arrested in the middle of the night during an operation codenamed “Op Covid Benteng”.
Three vehicles driven by three locals were also seized. They had made their way into the state with the human cargo via “rat trails”.
“On June 13, five Indonesians and a local man were picked up in Lundu.
“A second operation at the Serian border on June 14 saw the seizure of two vehicles driven by locals along with eight Indonesian men,” he said in a statement.
Commissioner Aidi added that upon inspection, the Indonesians did not have any valid travel documents.
The foreigners, in their 20s and 50s, were sent to the Petra Jaya health clinic to undergo swab test for Covid-19 Monday.
They are currently being held at a special lock-up here pending results of the swab tests and to facilitate investigations.
The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Trafficking in Persons Act 2007.
