Human trafficking bid foiled

NST Online, 2009/09/09

By Jassmine Shadiqe

JOHOR BARU: The state Immigration Department foiled a human trafficking attempt with the arrest of 116 Indian and Sri Lankan nationals in an apartment in Jalan Abdul Samad here yesterday.

The condominium is believed to be a transit point for the foreigners who were to be smuggled out to Indonesia, with Australia their final destination.

A team of 25 immigration officers, acting on a tip-off, raided 20 flats at the condominium, catching the foreigners, who were aged between 7 and 50, by surprise.

Several of the units raided had been renovated, with extra rooms being added, making the flat look like a budget hotel.


It is learnt that the police alerted the department after policemen, on routine crime prevention rounds, noticed a sudden increase in the number of foreigners at the condominium.

The foreigners had arrived legally through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport more than a month ago and had been staying at the condominium since.

Some of the foreigners had expired social visit passes, while some of them claimed that their passports were with their agents.

It was understood that these foreigners had paid up to US$13,000 (RM45,500) to the syndicate members in order to be smuggled to Australia via Indonesia.

They hoped to eventually claim refugee status from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Johor Immigration Department deputy director Muhammad Ali Abdullah said investigations revealed the foreigners came in batches and were smuggled to Indonesia in batches, too.

"On Thursday, we arrested 11 locals in Tiram here, who are believed to be involved in human trafficking.

"They ferry foreigners from the pick up point in Pengerang and send them to Batam, Indonesia.

"Once there, another syndicate member would take them to Australia.


"We believe that with the arrest of these key people, the human trafficking operation here has been disrupted. "

Three locals, who were among the immigrants, managed to escape.

The officers, however, found evidence such as the foreigners' payment transaction records and other details.

The foreigners were sent to the Pekan Nenas detentation centre in Pontian, pending further action.