KANGAR, Sept 11 — Police have thwarted attempts to smuggle 24 undocumented migrants from Myanmar into the country separately around the Padang Besar district on Monday and yesterday.

Padang Besar district police chief ACP Mohd Shokri Abdullah said three Myanmar nationals, two men and a woman aged between 15 and 48 years old, were arrested by a police team from Padang Besar CID and members of the D7 branch of Perlis police contingent headquarters (IPK) in a special operation at Padang Besar railway station area at 7.15 pm, on Monday.

"During the operation, the police arrested four individuals, including a 49-year-old local man who is believed to be acting as a ringleader. The inspection found that the three foreigners did not have valid travel documents to enter Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Shokri said preliminary investigations found that the three undocumented migrants were believed to have entered the country through rat lanes at the Malaysia-Thailand border fence on foot while the local man was believed to have bought train tickets for the three foreigners for their journey to a neighbouring state to work.

"The local man has now been remanded for 28 days under Section 4(5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) from September 10, 2024 while the three foreigners have been remanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act,” he said.

Mohd Shokri said another 21 undocumented migrants were arrested by a team from the General Operations Force (GOF) Battalion 3, Bidor, Perak during a regular patrol at 12.15 midnight, yesterday when the foreigners were suspected of trespassing through the Malaysia-Thailand border security fence by walking

He said the 17 men and four women aged between 19 and 49 failed to present any valid identification documents to enter Malaysia with one of the 24-year-old men believed to be acting as a ringleader and guide for the group.

"The leader is believed to have received RM200 for each individual and received instructions from an agent from a neighbouring country. The main purpose of all undocumented migrants entering Malaysia is believed to be to work in several different locations in the country,” he said.

"The suspect believed to be the mastermind was remanded under Section 4(5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) from September 11 2024 to October 8 2024, while the remaining 20 other foreigners were remanded for 14 days from September 11 2024 under the Immigration Act,” he said.

Mohd Shokri said both the arrest cases on Monday and yesterday were investigated in accordance with Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) (Act 670) and under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. — Bernama