Lundu: The Malaysian Army (TDM) deported 21 Indonesian foreign nationals, including a four-year-old child, for attempting to enter the country through illegal routes at the Malaysia-Indonesia border in Lundu, located at the southern tip of Sarawak, yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the individuals detained comprised 17 women and four men, aged four to 48 years old, as a result of a border security patrol operation conducted around 3.20 pm yesterday.

TDM operational forces, while patrolling the Lundu border sector, detected suspicious movement of the group moving from the Indonesian border towards Malaysian territory. Acting swiftly, the security forces conducted a raid about 800 meters from the border on the Malaysian side, successfully preventing the group from escaping into the interior.

The statement revealed that an early inspection found the majority of the immigrants did not possess valid travel documents, and it is believed that their entry was to seek employment and obtain goods without going through authorized immigration checkpoints.

The operational forces also seized various goods worth RM10,637, including 19 units of smartphones, raising questions about the group's true motives. Safety checks confirmed that all individuals involved were not carrying any firearms or dangerous materials when detained.

All 21 foreign immigrants were then immediately deported to their country of origin through the nearest border on the same day, while a police report was made at the Lundu district police headquarters as proof of the foiled intrusion.