PADANG BESAR: An attempt by nine Myanmar immigrants to enter the country illegally was yesterday foiled by the Anti-Smuggling Unit (UPP) here.
State UPP Commander Deputy Superintendent Zakaria Abdul Rahman said early investigation revealed that the Myanmar nationals, all males aged between 18 and 36, claimed they were victims of a fraudulent agent from a neighbouring country who took RM1,500 from each of them using the 6P legalisation programme for foreign workers and illegal immigrants to trick them.
Zakaria said the men claimed they were even told that they could get into Malaysia illegally and obtain legal status under the large-scale legalisation and amnesty exercise.
The illegals who were detained by the enforcement agency about 7.45pm on Wednesday at Kampung Titi Tinggi, near here, were seen "sandwiched" in a Proton Saga car while the "tekong", in his 30s, left the car and fled when he noticed the officers who were patrolling the area heading towards the car.
He said the illegals failed to provide any legal travel documents.
He added that about 6.30pm the same day the UPP detained a 22-year-old youth and seized 60 boxes of various types of firecrackers and fireworks worth RM60,000 in a raid at a house at Kampung Kok Mak here , believed to be a transit point for collecting the contraband for the Chinese New Year.
He added that the detainee admitted transporting the items through the security border fence near Kampung Melayu here using two different pick-up trucks at different times.
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