KUCHING: The General Operations Force (GOF) has charted six series of successes in Ops Benteng enforcement involving the arrest of two tekongs (trafficking agents) with three illegal immigrants, while 32 others were ordered to return to their home country.
GOF Sarawak commander SAC Saini Bongkek said the arrests and deportations were made between Oct 11 and 13.
He said the first case involved two Indonesian men aged 33 and 39 without any valid travel documents who were intercepted at an oil palm plantation in Bau on Oct 11 at 10.15am.
“On Oct 11 at approximately 12 noon, a GOF police team from Op Benteng detained a vehicle near Lachau, Sri Aman. Inspection on the vehicle found that there was one local man with one local woman in the front passenger seat and three Indonesian men aged between 30 to 45 years old.
“Further examination found that the local man and woman were believed to be tekongs and brought three Indonesian men who did not have any valid travel documents. The arrests and seizures were handed over to the Sri Aman District Police Headquarters for further action and investigation,” he said today (Oct 14).
Saini said the next case involved eight Indonesian nationals including three women and one child who were caught hiding in a bush by a GOF police team at an oil palm plantation in Serian at around midnight on Oct 13.
“Inspection found that the eight Indonesian citizens did not have any valid travel documents and they were instructed to turn back to Indonesia through the same route.
“Additionally, a GOF police team also ordered five Indonesians including a woman to return to their home country after they were caught hiding in a bush near Tebedu.
Later on the same day, Saini said two Indonesian men aged 33 and 37 years old were also detained and deported at an oil palm plantation in Lundu for having no valid travel documents.
“The final case in Serian found 15 Indonesians including a woman aged 20 to 39 years old who were also caught hiding in a bush. All of them were found without any valid travel documents and were instructed to turn back to Indonesia through the same route.
“All deportations were made under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342),” he added.
