TEBEDU: A total of 672 magpies (Burung Murai) that attempted to be smuggled by illegal Indonesian immigrants were seized by the 10th Battalion of the Royal Rangers Regiment, yesterday.
In the incident at 4.40am, four suspects aged between 29 and 32 years were found bringing 56 cages containing magpies using the ‘lorong tikus’ near the Tebedu’s Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS).
A spokesman for the First Malaysian Infantry Division said in a press statement, the suspects were believed to be using the route in the morning to avoid being detected by the authorities.
The preliminary information found that each of the suspects was paid RM50 to bring the birds out of the Malaysian border.
On the same day at 2.00am the army personnel also arrested two Indonesians who were trying to enter the Malaysian border and attempted to smuggle poisons.
The army personnel lodged a report at the Tebudu Police Station and subsequently handed over all these illegal immigrants to Immigration Detention Depot Simunjan, Serian.
