Rohingya trafficking syndicate dismantled | The star

PETALING JAYA: A special operation by the Immigration Department has dismantled a major Rohingya human trafficking network with the arrest of six suspects aged between 24 and 35 in Kota Baru, Kelantan.

The suspects, mainly of Rohingya ethnicity, were apprehended on Saturday by the Intelligence and Special Operations Special Tactics Team (Pastak) at the Putrajaya Immigration Headquarters with the assistance of the Kelantan Immigration Department.

Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslan Jusoh said the operation was carried out after three weeks of intelligence reports and public information.

“A plan was made and the team took action after spotting a car being driven by an individual in a suspicious manner.

“The suspect then left after seeing the immigration team’s car, but was arrested at the Kota Baru Express Bus Terminal,” Ruslan said in a statement yesterday.

“The team also apprehended two Rohingyas suspected of being “transporters” and “helpers” as well as two other Rohingyas believed to be on their way to Kuala Lumpur.

“We have arrested two more Rohingyas in Kota Baru, bringing the total to six,” he said.

Ruslan said four of the Rohingya suspects had UNHCR cards, while two others had no documents or valid passes to enter the country.

“The team seized two UNHCR documents believed to be fake, RM2,000 in cash and the vehicle used to transport the illegal immigrants.

“The syndicate's modus operandi is to smuggle illegal immigrants into the country at the border, placing them in transit houses before transporting them to Kuala Lumpur in express buses accompanied by Rohingya from Kuala Lumpur,” he said. -he explained.

Ruslan said the union charged RM500 each for transport to Kuala Lumpur and RM100 to move them around Kota Baru, using fake UNHCR documents to fool authorities.

He said the union had been in operation for a year.

“Three Rohingya are detained on suspicion of offenses under Section 26A, Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2007. »

According to Ruslan, the immigration depot in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, is holding three more people suspected of offenses under Section 6 (3) of the Immigration Act.