20 Myanmar nationals detained near Bukit Kayu Hitam

The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) detained 20 illegal immigrants who were Myanmar nationals at a kongsi house behind a petrol station near Bukit Kayu Hitam, yesterday.

Commander of the Sixth Brigade, Brigadier-General Mohd Halim Khalid, said the arrest was made at 11pm involving illegal immigrants, aged between 20 and 30, who were believed to have just entered the country through the border fence which had been broken.

"Initially the Sixth Royal Rangers Regiment, which was carrying out patrolling duty, saw a group of people outside the kongsi house and, shortly after, a blue-coloured Proton Wira car left the house.

"The car was at the house for almost two hours before moving towards Changlun. Suspicious of the situation, the patrolling team carried out a raid and detained the 20 illegal immigrants,” he said in a statement today.

Halim said based on initial investigation, the tekong (human trafficker) involved, believed to be a local, had promised to take the illegal immigrants from the house to another location.

The illegal immigrants were believed to have been promised jobs in this country, he said.

"All the illegal immigrants were later handed over to the Immigration Department in Bukit Kayu Hitam for further action," he added.

- Bernama