KUCHING: The General Operations Force (GOF) arrested six men comprising five Indonesians and a local, in two separate cases of illegal cross border smuggling activities last Thursday.
Sarawak GOF Brigade commander SAC Mancha Ata said the first incident took place around 8.15am at the border in Biawak, Lundu.
A team from 11th Battalion GOF spotted and arrested three Indonesians who were entering the state via a rat trail (jalan tikus). Further inspections found that all three failed to show any valid travel documents.
“The team then ordered the trio to return to Indonesia using the same route. They had committed offences under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) and Immigration Act 1959 (Act 155) Section 6 (1),” he said.
Later at around 11pm, GOF personnel were carrying out patrolling duties along the Tebedu Immigration and Customs Quarantine Complex (ICQS) and detained a vehicle on suspicion of smuggling activities.
Mancha said further inspections found a local man and two Indonesian men inside the vehicle. They were arrested for entering Sarawak without any valid travel document.
The vehicle, valued at approximately RM80,000 was also confiscated.
The suspects and the seized vehicle were handed over to Tebedu police station for further actions.
Mancha revealed that throughout the Ops Benteng conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, GOF Sarawak have recorded seizures totaling RM1,699,422 in 52 cases involving 198 arrests – 42 locals and 156 illegal immigrants.
