KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Immigration Department arrested two local men and five illegal immigrants in a crackdown on a migrant smuggling syndicate, carried out under Ops Serkap around Kota Bharu on Sunday and Monday (Jan 2). Its deputy director, Nik Akhtarulhaq Nik Abdul Rahman, said the five immigrants comprised two men and three women from Myanmar, aged 20 to 40. "The five immigrants are now being detained at the Tanah Merah Immigration Depot for further investigation under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63," he said in a media statement on Tuesday (Feb 3). Nik Akhtarulhaq said the two local men arrested were believed to have acted as transporters in the smuggling network and were being investigated under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. He stressed that the department would not compromise with any party, particularly locals involved in smuggling activities or harbouring undocumented migrants, and urged the public to report any activities involving illegal immigrants to aid enforcement efforts in the state.

Source: The Star February 03, 2026 08:55 UTC