Refugees from Syria brought to Malaysia (Photo: AFP/VNA) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Immigration Department of Malaysia recently uncovered a secret route used to smuggle illegal foreigners out of the country.
The Star newspaper reported on February 8 that the police discovered the route during a raid in Padang Temu in Melaka state and detained 28 suspects.
Early investigation showed that illegal foreigners in Malaysia were charged between 600-1,200 MYR (150-300 USD) to leave the country.
The location where the suspects were arrested, close to the sea, was also identified as a transit point for the illegal foreigners. They entered Malaysia from Indonesia’s Tanjung Rupat area by boats.
In December 2017, some 600 immigration staff members were transferred out of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) station after some of them were suspected of being involved in the smuggling in of Bangladeshis.
Malaysian police and the Anti-Corruption Commission are still investigating the case. Seven people, including foreigners have been caught.
It is believed the syndicates charged between 15,000 and 20,000 MYR (3,500-4,500 USD) for each person to make it easier for them to bypass the authorities, including Immigration and the Malaysian High Commission in Bangladesh.-VNA
