TEBEDU: A migrant smuggling syndicate operating near the Malaysia-Indonesia border was crippled after immigration officers arrested 11 Indonesians near the Tebedu land border checkpoint early yesterday morning (Jun 11).
The Sarawak Immigration Department said the arrests, carried out under ‘Ops Serkap’ and ‘Ops Kutip’, took place around 4 am.
It is believed that the syndicate had been using the area near the checkpoint as an illegal transit hub for undocumented migrants to exit Malaysia.
“Acting on intelligence, the security monitoring and enforcement unit (UPKP) launched a swift raid the moment the suspects arrived at the location.
“The raid also targeted a premises that had been turned into a makeshift transit base by the syndicate.


“Eight men and three women from Indonesia were taken into custody after they were attempting to leave the country without valid travel documents,” the department said.
Also seized in the operation was a RM30,000 vehicle believed to have been used to transport the migrants.
The foreign detainees are being held at the Immigration Depot for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Immigration Regulations 1963, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM).
The operation is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen border control and combat cross-border crime.