LUNDU: A joint army patrol foiled another attempt by 20 foreigners to enter Sarawak illegally to seek jobs yesterday (June 23).
Earlier, the army intercepted the illegal entries of two groups of foreigners, comprising 26 men and a woman, at 12.10 pm and 1.45 pm.
The First Infantry Division said a team of Malaysian and Indonesian soldiers came across the third group around 2.15 pm in Biawak, walking from the Indonesia border into the state.
The foreigners, consisting of 17 men, two women and a child, were detained for inspection after entering the country via illegal routes, about 150m from the border.
“Further questioning found that they were on their way to work in the plantation sector in Sarawak.
“No prohibited or dangerous items were found among the foreigners’ possessions except a sum of cash, phones, wallets and clothes with a total value of RM17,250,” the division said.
The foreigners were later escorted to the state’s border to be deported back to Indonesia.
Preliminary intelligence discovered that the three groups, who were intercepted yesterday, were returning to Sarawak to work after the Hari Raya Haji holiday.
From Jan 1 until June 23 this year, the army conducted 16 deportations involving 118 foreigners.
In addition, the army assured that they are committed to tightening border control and safeguarding the state’s sovereignty from any illegal entries or cross-border crimes.
