SYNDICATES are using four main entry points to bring in undocumented foreigners into the country, according to the National Task Force (NTF) on illegal immigrants.

NTF commander vice-admiral Aris Adi Tan Abdullah told The Malaysian Insight the four entry points are in the north, west coast, southeast of the peninsula, and Sabah and Sarawak.

Aris heads the NTF, an agency comprising 19 security bodies formed in May to stop the entry of undocumented migrants into the country as the nation battles the Covid-19 pandemic.

“For illegals to come in via the northern sector, they would use the land and water routes at the Malaysia-Thailand border. This route is usually used by the Rohingya as well as Myanmar nationals.

“For them to enter via water, smugglers would use routes near Langkawi Island, along the Perlis and Kedah coastal line and as for land route, they will use rat trails from the northern part of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Kelantan.”

To date, more than 8,000 illegal immigrants have been detained under the NTF.

Between May and November 4, the NTF detained 8,031 individuals with the majority from Indonesia (3,699), Myanmar (1,047), Bangladesh (587), China (667), Rohingya (319) and the Philippines (339).

Also arrested were foreigners from the Middle East, such as Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Iran and Europeans from the United Kingdom (7), Spain (1), Italy (1) and United States (7).

Aris said the entry points on the west coast and southeast sectors are used by syndicates to smuggle in foreign labourers from Indonesia.

“In the west coast sector, they will embark at Tg Balai in Sumatra (east coast) until Karimun island, south of Sumatra.

“They will land in Bagan Datoh in Perak or in Tg Piai in Johor.

“For those coming through the southeast, the syndicates will use the Sedili beach in Kota Tinggi and Penggerang in Johor. They will embark at Pulau Bintan and Batam in Indonesia.”

The operation to weed out illegal foreigners was intensified following the rise of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Human rights group criticised the operation, dubbed Ops Benteng, after the authorities held hundreds of undocumented migrants, including women and children, at the height of the pandemic in June.

Aris said the NTF is also monitoring the eastern Sabah coastal line and the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.

“The coastal line in Sabah is long and previously there were incidents of kidnapping by certain groups from the southern Philippines. Security here is tight.

“Same goes for Sarawak. There have been cases of border crossing activities and smuggling of goods from west Kalimantan,” Aris said.

From May to November, 12 illegal migrants have tested positive for Covid-19 upon their arrival in the country.

There have also been three clusters linked to temporary detention centres housing undocumented foreigners.

The three clusters are Rumah Merah cluster, Sandakan PTS and Tawau PTS in Sabah. – November 9, 2020.