WITH strict entry rules at Malaysia’s main international airports, human smuggling syndicate agents said they are using rat trails and waterways at the Thailand border to get immigrants into Malaysia.

Some smuggled foreigners and agents of one syndicate revealed to The Malaysian Insight their modus operandi to get illegal migrants to the Klang Valley.

They said once the migrants are brought across the border, the syndicate uses a fleet of vans and buses to bring them to the country’s most populous area.

An agent, an Indian national, said the majority of the people he helped smuggle into the country were Indians and Bangladeshis. 

The agent said those from Bangladesh will travel in a circuitous route by first flying to Cambodia, then making their way into Thailand.

“From Thailand, we will then help them sneak into the country through the many ‘jalan tikus’ or waterways, in particular Sungai Golok, at the Thai-Malaysian border,” he said.

For Indian nationals, they fly from India to Thailand before being smuggled in the same way as Bangladeshis, he said.

“Once they are successfully across, they are taken to the Klang Valley by van or bus,” he said.

“The fee is between RM1,500 and RM2,800 depending on which country the smuggled person is from.

“Most foreigners who use our services are those who have problems with their documents or have been blacklisted from entering the country,” he said.

He said when they arrive in the Klang Valley, they are sent to the farming, manufacturing and service sectors.

“Enforcement measures are strict at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

“They still want to go to Malaysia to work and because of that we use illegal means to bring them in,” he said.

A Bangladeshi who had just arrived in the Klang Valley through Sungai Golok admitted this was the case for him.

He said as soon as he crossed the border, he was placed temporarily in a shared house around the border village.

“The syndicate put us in a house (that was) like a chicken coop for two days. It took 18 hours to get in through the rat trail because we were worried about being detected by the authorities.

“My legs and hands were injured by thorns in the forest and I also fell several times in the dark. The movement is usually done at night to avoid detection,” he said.

That was his second illegal entry into Malaysia via the rat trail.

He said another danger is that agents helping them across the border would not hesitate to abandon them at the first sign of trouble.

“A friend of mine was abandoned by the agent in the forest after being found by the police. He was not caught and managed to reach Bukit Kayu Hitam after five days of wandering in the forest.”

An Indian national who entered Malaysia for the first time via this route said he was not aware of the dangers that lay ahead of him.

“The agent in India lied to me when he told me I would be entering Malaysia legally. I wouldn’t know as I cannot read and write.

“I also was not told that I would be going to Thailand first instead of Malaysia directly.

“After arriving in Thailand, I was picked up by an Indian man, reportedly a local resident, and then put on a train to the border.

“From there we crossed the river (Sungai Golok) into Kelantan. From Kelantan, I was put on a van with five other Indians and a Bangladeshi to Klang,” he said.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday Putrajaya will upgrade all 151 General Operations Forces posts at the country’s borders to curb rampant human trafficking.

“The GOF posts will block all smuggling activities. RM45 million is the budget we need and we are optimistic we will get it so we can manage the posts.

“Cross-border crime, rat trails, and the smuggling of weapons, drugs and contraband essential goods such as cooking oil can be blocked through the use of these posts,” he had said.

Last week, Malaysia climbed to Tier 2 of the US Trafficking in Persons report watchlist for 2023, with US authorities saying Malaysia has not met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts. 

Malaysia joins other Southeast Asian countries like Brunei and Vietnam, and many African countries on the Tier 2 watchlist. – June 23, 2023.