ALOR STAR: Kubang Pasu police have arrested up four Thai nationals suspected of trafficking six Myanmar nationals during a raid in Bukit Kayu Hitam yesterday morning.
District police chief Superintendent Mohd Redzuan Salleh said the 10.50am raid was conducted by a team of officers from the Bukit Kayu Hitam station at a hut located in a rubber plantation behind Universiti Utara Malaysia in Bukit Tangga.
"Upon arriving at the location, the team conducted surveillance for approximately 10 minutes and saw six individuals—three men and three women—sitting in the hut, believed to be illegal migrants," he said in a statement.
"The team then moved in and rounded up the six migrants before arresting four Thai nationals in the vicinity," he added.
Redzuan said all the foreigners aged between 21 and 40 years old, failed to produce valid travel documents.
The investigation revealed that the four human trafficking suspects were paid RM65 for each foreign individual transported from Kampung Sadao, Thailand, to the Bukit Kayu Hitam border.
Police have classified the case under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
If convicted, offenders under the ATIPSOM Act may face imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine, or both.
For the offence of entering Malaysia without valid travel documents, offenders may face imprisonment of up to 5 years, a fine not exceeding RM10,000.00, or both, and up to six strokes of the cane.