LUNDU: Fifteen foreigners, including two women, have been ordered to return to their country of origin after being caught entering Sarawak illegally for work yesterday (June 30).
The First Infantry Division said that a team of Malaysian and Indonesian soldiers encountered two groups of foreigners in Biawak at 2.45pm and 3.15pm.
All of them, aged between 18 and 64, were spotted walking from the Indonesia border into the state via an illegal route, about 118 metres from the border.
“Further questioning found that the groups were on their way to work in Sarawak.
“No prohibited or dangerous items among the foreigners’ possessions except a sum of cash, phones, wallets and clothes with a total value of RM17,080,” the division said.
The foreigners were then escorted to the state’s border and deported back to Indonesia.
Since Jan 1 until June 30, the army has conducted 17 deportations involving 133 foreigners.
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.
