Foreign workers detained in bid to smuggle illegal immigrants

KALABAKAN, Feb 21 -- An attempt by three foreign workers to smuggle three illegal immigrants, comprising a woman and two girls, through Serudong here, failed when all the five Indonesian nationals, were arrested by the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) yesterday.

The Fifth Infantry Division, in a statement today, said the six Indonesian nationals, aged between three and 42 years, were arrested at 2.45 pm.

”At first, three individuals, who are workers in a nearby plantation, were seen in a suspicious manner riding on two motorcycles, and about five minutes later, a woman and two children were seen walking through a rat lane from the Indonesian border towards the motorcycle.

“Checks found that all of them have no valid identification documents and the three plantation workers were trying to help sneak the woman and the children into the country,” it said, adding that the five of them were then taken to the Kalabakan police station for further action.

It said two Honda Wave CL motorcycles and two handphones were seized from the illegal immigrants.

-- BERNAMA