Malaysia busts migrant smuggling ring using Singapore and Thailand as transit hubs

Malaysia's Immigration Department has cracked an Indonesian smuggling syndicate that routed migrants through Singapore and Thailand to slip past Malaysian authorities, The New Straits Times (NST) reported on Sunday (April 26).

In total, 10 Indonesian migrants and two transporters were arrested in an operation conducted on Saturday by officers from the Malaysia's Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants and Anti-Migrant Labour Abuse Prevention Division.

The suspects, aged between 27 and 60, were apprehended at Terminal Bersepadu Gombak and Terminal Bersepadu Selatan along with a Mazda CX-5 which was believed to have been used to transport the migrants, according to NST.

"Officers tracked the arrival of a group of Indonesian nationals travelling to the Klang Valley from Kelantan via express buses," Immigration Department director-general Zakaria Shaaban told media on Sunday.

Two Indonesian men and two women were detained at Terminal Bersepadu Gombak along with a man believed to be their transporter, he added.

At the other terminal, three Indonesian men and three women, believed to be linked to the same syndicate, were also detained, The Star reported.

Preliminary investigations uncovered that their complex blend of air and land routes was a shift from their prior sea routes via the waters of Selangor as they tried to evade authorities.

Flights to Malaysia were also avoided as some migrants were allegedly blacklisted from entering the country, Free Malaysia Today reported.

These migrants would allegedly travel from Indonesia to Singapore and then to Hat Yai, Thailand, or use Kuala Lumpur International Airport as a transit point before going to Hat Yai.

In Hat Yai, they would be held in safe houses before being smuggled into Kelantan through illegal entry points along the border between Malaysia and Thailand, Zakaria shared.

The syndicate is believed to be helmed by an Indonesian national and operates through multiple intermediaries in Hat Yai.

Zakria added: "Each agent had a specific role, including managing arrivals, arranging accommodation, and falsifying passport entry stamps to mislead authorities."

For their journey, the syndicate reportedly charged each migrant between RM3,500 (S$1,127) and RM4,000.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com