TEBEDU: The 11th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment successfully nabbed a group of illegal immigrants who tried to enter the state through ‘rat routes’ between the Malaysia – Indonesia border here about 9pm yesterday.
Following a tip-off, the team had identified the location, which was about 300 meters from the Tebedu Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex , near here.
“It was actually the back door (gate) of the Tebedu Inland Port, where some parts of the fence had been damaged and it became a laluan tikus, which was often used by them to enter Sarawak without going through the CIQ, to avoid checks,” said a spokesman from the 3rd Brigade Infantry.
The team arrested seven people including a woman, after waiting for more than 11 hours at the site.
Initial investigations showed that all of them did not have any valid travel documents and permits and wanted to work in plantations in Bintulu.
“We believe that they have an agent who waited for them here (in Sarawak) to assist them to travel to Bintulu, which was another 8 to 10 hour drive,” he said.
“They admitted that they entered the state without applying for any permit and wanted to work in plantations in Bintulu.
The suspects were handed over to the police for further investigations and to identify the agent and any other individual involved.