TANAH MERAH: Thirty-one foreigners were detained by the state Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) for entering and leaving the country illegally in Tanah Merah yesterday.
Kelantan Aksem commander Rusli Karim said the 31 foreigners were arrested in two separate operations at Lalang Pepuyu and Kampung Belimbing.
He added that the 31 were travelling in two separate tour buses when they were detained between 2.30pm and 11.30pm yesterday.
Rusli said 14 of them, all Thai citizens were detained at Lalang Pepuyu when they entered Kelantan without proper documents.
"The 14 were heading to Teluk Intan, Perak to work in the fishing sector there when they were detained.
"Some of them had international passports while the rest were found with expired visit passes," he said in a statement.
In a follow-up operation jointly conducted with the state Immigration Department, Rusli said another 17 foreigners, all Myanmar nations, were nabbed at Kampung Belimbing.
"Aksem and immigration officers stopped another tour bus when they passed the area about 11.30pm.
"Upon checking, they found 17 Myanmar men who entered the country illegally. They were about to be sent to Thailand from the Klang Valley when they were arrested," said Rusli.
He added that another bus driver was also arrested in the second operation.
He said initial investigations showed that the two drivers were transporters and hired by organised human trafficking syndicates to send the illegals across the border and vice-versa.
Rusli said the 31 foreigners, aged between 17 and 50, have been handed over to the Immigration Department for further action.
He said Aksem would continue their operations against the syndicates from time to time especially along the rat routes located at the Kelantan/Thai border.
"We will continue to track down the members of this syndicates as we believe they are making huge incomes from this illegal activity." he added.