A TOTAL of 162 illegal immigrants were detained by the General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade since early January till yesterday under Op Wawasan Kelantan in Malaysia-Thailand waters.

GOF Southeast Brigade commander SAC Hasan Basri Ahmad Safar said the highest number of illegals caught was from Myanmar at 112 individuals, followed by Thailand (43), Rohingya (5) and China (2).

“We have carried out strict inspections on all passenger vehicles, including tour buses, because some smugglers believe it is difficult to detain them at roadblocks while travelling in luxury tour buses.

“However, we caught on to their tactics of using tour buses to smuggle illegal foreigners thanks to intelligence gathered and information received,” he said in a media statement today.

Meanwhile, in another development, GOF Battalion 8 commanding officer Supt Mat Shukor Yusof said his team detained seven illegal immigrants, comprising Thai and Chinese nationals, in two different roadblocks in Lalang Pepuyu, Tanah Merah yesterday. – Bernama, February 22, 2022.