Viet illegals found in Malaysian cop's car

A policeman based in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan was arrested by the Immigration Department while trying to smuggle four illegal immigrants through the Malaysian-Thai border on Monday.

The 27-year-old lance corporal, attached to the Seremban police headquarters, was transporting the Vietnamese immigrants in his car when he was stopped at the Padang Besar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in the state of Perlis, the New Straits Times reported.

Immigration Department officials had stopped the car and found that two of the Vietnamese nationals, both men, did not have valid travel documents.

"The officers found two more Vietnamese men in the boot of the car," said a source.

It was learnt that the policeman, who is married with three children, had picked up the immigrants at a bus station in Changlun, a main border town in Kedah, the report said.

He had carried out human trafficking three times before his 7am arrest yesterday.

REMAND ORDER

The suspect, who is detained under a seven-day remand order, could be fined a maximum of RM250,000 (S$95,000) or jailed up to five years or both, if found guilty.

In Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the man was being investigated.

"I can confirm the arrest of the policeman. It's too soon to release information as investigations are ongoing," the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

When asked if the policeman would be suspended or relieved from duties, IGP Noor Rashid said it was too early to say.

This article was first published on December 10, 2014.
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