Ismail Sabri: Border security tightened to prevent imported Covid-19 clusters via illegal migrants

PETALING JAYA: Enforcement agencies have been directed to plug illegal routes into the country, as an influx of migrants could jeopardise initiatives undertaken to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.

Senior minister (security cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said checks along the border must be intensified to avoid risk of acquiring new "illegal migrant" Covid-19 clusters.

"A total of 84 individuals had been nabbed when they entered the country illegally via rat routes.

"All security agencies must tighten control along the borders, especially the rat routes. Migrants must be stopped from illegally crossing into our borders," he said.

Ismail said it would have a catastrophic impact on Covid-19 transmission management if the influx of illegal migrants was left unchecked.

"We do not want imported Covid-19 clusters," he told a press conference.

Ismail said 131 Malaysians who returned from abroad had been tested positive for Covid-19.

"This means the mandatory quarantine order imposed on them has helped contain local transmission of imported Covid-19 cases.

Since April 3, a total of 16,945 Malaysians from abroad had been quarantined upon arrival.

Another batch of 1,794 Malaysians returned from abroad on Friday (April 24), and they were placed at 209 quarantine centres.

"And since April 17, we have allowed 6,778 of them to return to their homes after completing the two-week mandatory quarantine," he said.

Meanwhile, the authorities had inspected 537,320 vehicles at 830 roadblocks nationwide.

A total of 40,892 spot checks were carried out at 5,817 premises.

Ismail also noted the number of people nabbed for defying MCO had been declining steadily over the last few days.

"A total of 386 people were detained Friday, compared with 550 cases recorded the previous day," he said.

Ismail said of the number of people detained on Friday, 332 were remanded while 54 others were freed on police bail.

He also noted that the Home Ministry had gazetted 11 special prisons for MCO offenders.

He said the first batch of 58 offenders were sent to the special prisons.

So far, 19,434 MCO offenders had been nabbed since April 24. - Star