KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has dismantled a migrant smuggling syndicate known as "Iqbal" in a special operation targeting illegal human trafficking, carried out on Jan 17, 2026, following intelligence and public tip-offs.
The raid was conducted by officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) and Anti-Migrant Labour Abuse (Amla) Prevention Division at the Immigration Headquarters in Putrajaya, in collaboration with the Kelantan State Immigration Department Enforcement Division.
Immigration Department, director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation focused on a premises used as a temporary "holding house" for migrants brought into the country through unauthorised routes.
"Located in a remote village, the property was chosen to evade detection and served as a transit point for newly smuggled migrants," he said.
The raid led to the arrest of 12 Bangladeshi nationals — 11 men and one woman aged between 18 and 54 — as well as a 27-year-old Rohingya man from Myanmar who acted as the caretaker of the holding house.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that the migrants had entered Malaysia three days earlier via unregulated land routes along the Malaysia-Thailand border. They were kept at the premises while awaiting full payment before being sent to their next destinations," said Zakaria.
He added that JIM is actively tracing the local property owner suspected of colluding with the syndicate by renting out the premises as a transit centre.
"The individual will be investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007 [Act 670]," he said.
Further intelligence indicates that the "Iqbal" syndicate has been operating since early 2024, with a network of agents in the migrants' home countries. The ringleader, known as "Iqbal", is believed to operate from Thailand.
The syndicate charged between RM10,000 and RM15,000 per migrant, generating estimated earnings of around RM1.5 million from illegal operations.
The operation also employed the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI) 2.0 to identify potential trafficking victims among vulnerable individuals.
The Immigration Department has launched further investigations to examine violations under Atipsom 2007 [Act 670].
Zakaria reaffirmed the Immigration Department's commitment to combating all forms of migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
"Legal action will be taken without compromise against any individuals, syndicates, employers, or property owners who hire, shelter, or collude with undocumented migrants," he said. - NST
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