POLICE have crippled five migrant smuggling syndicates operating in Kedah with the arrest of 12 local and Myanmar agents through Ops Pintas from August 15 to September 7. 

State police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said 47 Myanmar migrants, aged between 15 and 50, were also detained during the operation. They were smuggled into the country through sea and land routes in the Langkawi and Kubang Pasu districts. 

“While these syndicate groups are unrelated, they share a common modus operandi, which involves smuggling migrants into the country through sea and land routes. They also have connections and collaborate with syndicate agents in Yangon, Myanmar. 

“These migrants have been promised job opportunities in various economic sectors in this country and are required to pay between RM5,000 and RM7,000 each to the respective syndicate agents,” he said at a press conference today. 

Fisol said the police had also met with the Kedah National Security Council to address the issue of migrant infiltration along the national borders.  

“Immediate action must be taken at the fenced land and maritime borders. Langkawi is a transit point, and when migrants land there, it’s already treated as a domestic area, allowing them to go to Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis without requiring any documents,” he added. 

In a related development, Fisol said the police had successfully thwarted diesel oil smuggling activities near the Kubang Pasu border in an operation from August 31 to Sept 8. 

“The police seized around 7,950 litres of diesel worth over RM17,000, which was being smuggled to a neighbouring country. We also arrested seven Thai men and two local men, aged 21 to 50,” he said. 

All the seized items were handed over to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living for further action under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, Fisol added. – Bernama, September 10, 2023.