KOTA BARU: Migrant smugglers in Kelantan have resorted to aggressive tactics to evade arrest including damaging Immigration enforcement vehicles during high-speed chases.
Kelantan Immigration director Garry Belayong John Siki said 38 suspected smugglers had been arrested for bringing 380 undocumented migrants into the country through the state since last year.
He said the arrests were made in a series of operations across several districts, including Pasir Mas, Kota Baru and Gua Musang.
"The smugglers are willing to act aggressively to evade arrest. Some of our vehicles were damaged during the chase.
"The department also seized 41 vehicles believed to have been used to transport the migrants during the operations," he said.
He added that the smugglers used various types of vehicles, including Honda models and the Perodua Aruz.
Garry said most of the smugglers were locals from Kelantan, while the migrants were from Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan.
He said the migrants were mostly brought into Kelantan through the Malaysia-Thailand border before being transported to other destinations, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Johor.
Despite these challenges, Garry said the department would continue operations to dismantle migrant-smuggling networks using Kelantan as an entry point to bring undocumented foreigners into the country and transport them to other states.
Earlier today, the New Straits Times reported that members of human-smuggling syndicates have threatened villagers along the Kelantan coast with firearms to stop them from exposing illegal activities in their neighbourhoods.
They said the threats had heightened fear among coastal communities, where undocumented migrants were brought ashore almost nightly through rivers, jetties and secluded stretches of beach.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd