51 illegal immigrants held in Op Benteng

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12  -- Fifty one illegal immigrants and a skipper were arrested in Op Benteng yesterday, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

According to him, the operation conducted with the cooperation of police, Armed Forces, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and the Malaysian Border Security Agency (AKSEM) also seized six vehicles and two boats.

“The government will be taking firm actions against any parties attempting enter the country illegally and the enforcement agencies will continue to tighten control at the border especially at rat trails,” he said in a statement on Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) today.

 In this regard, 241 individuals were held for defying RMCO yesterday with 202 issued compounds and 39 remanded for failing to provide customer entry recording equipment (78), not wearing face mask (77); failure to observe physical distancing (43); entertainment activities (41); and others (2).

On mandatory quarantine, Ismail Sabri said 86,398 individuals have returned home since July 24 to yesterday and they were placed at 78 hotels as well as 19 public training institutes and private education institutions nationwide.

According to him, 12,827 individuals are still undergoing quarantine while 543 were sent to hospitals for treatment and 73,028 individuals were allowed to go home.

On public sanitisation operations, he said 39 operations were carried out in 11 states namely Sabah with nine operations, Melaka (nine), Johor (four); Sarawak (four); Kedah (three); Perak (three); Selangor (two); Pahang (two); Terengganu (one); Penang (one); and Perlis (one).

On essential goods, he said the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry conducted 525 special inspections on compliance of RMCO standard operating procedure (SOP) at 689 business premises including retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers yesterday.

-- BERNAMA