JOHOR BARU: Johor police have intercepted a migrant smuggling syndicate and arrested 21 Bangladeshi migrants who illegally entered Malaysia after transiting in Singapore.
The migrants were discovered at a transit house in Taman Daya, here, following a raid conducted on Sept 9.
Johor Police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the syndicate, led by local and Bangladeshi individuals, had been active since August.
Migrants, having paid about RM20,000 each, were smuggled from Singapore through a remote route near the Johor Causeway and then placed in a transit house before being transported to their final destinations.
"The operation was a result of police intelligence gathered on human smuggling activities around Tambak Johor (Johor Causeway)," said Kumar in a statement yesterday.
"At 5.30am on the day of the raid, 21 Bangladeshi migrants aged between 19 and 44 were detained at the transit house," he was reported saying in an article in Harian Metro today.
Kumar said the raid also led to the arrest of a local woman and three foreign men, believed to be the syndicate's agents and transporters.
Among the items seized were 25 mobile phones, 22 Bangladeshi passports, RM1,200 in cash, a car loan agreement, keys to the transit house, a Perodua Axia and a Perodua Myvi.
"Initial investigations showed that the migrants had paid Taka 550,000 (around RM20,000) each to an agent in Bangladesh.
"From there, they transited through Singapore's Changi Airport before crossing into Malaysia on foot via a hidden route near the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI).
"The 21 migrants were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the four individuals responsible for managing the transit house and facilitating the smuggling operation have been charged under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007," he said.
Kumar said all 21 migrants were charged on Sept 23 at the Johor Baru magistrate's court, with the case mention scheduled for Oct 13.
Meanwhile, the four syndicate members were brought to the Sessions Court yesterday morning, he said.