LUNDU: Five undocumented foreigners were detained for enterimg Sarawak through a non-gazetted road on Wednesday (Nov 18).
A team of State Immigration Department and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) personnel caught them and a local driver who brought them in at Jalan Lundu around 6.05am.
State Immigration Department director Datuk Ken Leben explained that the arrests were made based on a review of illegal immigrants found with negative results of Covid-19 Examination Reports made in Surabaya, Indonesia on Nov 15.
“The team also seized five Republic of Indonesia passports and five Covid-19 Inspection reports belonging to the illegal immigrants.
“Meanwhile, the driver was arrested for attempting to bribe one of the Deputy Assistant Directors of Immigration with RM1,150 ,” said Ken in a statement.
The vehicle — a Perodua Bezza — was seized by the Immigration Department and a witness summon was also issued to the driver for the purpose of investigation.
All five illegal immigrants were taken to the Special Operations Unit office at Bangunan Annex, Simpang Tiga for the purpose of documentation.
“They are also scheduled to be taken for Covid-19 screening at a health clinic according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH) before being sent to Semuja Immigration Depot in Serian,” he added.
The driver will be investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 for bringing illegal immigrants in his vehicle and providing services to bring illegal immigrants into the country contrary to the current Legal Provisions, while the illegal immigrants can be investigated under the Immigration Act for entering the country illegally through an ungazetted road.
