Immigration Department Busts Human Trafficking Syndicate in Kelantan*

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — The Immigration Department dismantled a human trafficking syndicate in Kelantan, arresting eight members, including the mastermind, during a special operation in Rantau Panjang last Wednesday. The operation also led to the detention of 39 illegal immigrants, including 13 Indonesian men, 22 Indonesian women, three Thai nationals, and a Myanmar man, aged 20 to 58.

The syndicate was uncovered when officers tracked a motorcycle transporting immigrants to a van. The operation resulted in the arrest of a Thai man, believed to be the ringleader, along with five accomplices and two local men. Authorities seized 39 passports, seven mobile phones, and a sum of cash in various currencies, along with several vehicles used for trafficking.

The arrested individuals face charges under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act, while the illegal immigrants are being held for violations under the Immigration Act.