Kuala lumpur: The General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade detained 641 illegal immigrants under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan along the Malaysia-Thailand border in the first half of this year. GOF Southeast Brigade commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the detainees comprised 507 men and 134 women from 10 countries.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Myanmar nationals accounted for the highest number, with 428 individuals, comprising 322 men and 106 women. "Also detained were 73 Bangladeshis, 39 Indonesians, 38 Thais, 21 Chinese nationals, 19 Indians, 16 Nepalese, four Vietnamese, two Pakistanis and one Nigerian. All of them were picked up during operations conducted from January to June this year," he said when contacted today.

Ahmad Radzi stated that the success came from ongoing intelligence gathering and operations by the GOF Southeast Brigade to prevent illegal immigrants from entering through high-risk border routes. He noted that syndicates often smuggle immigrants in small groups, but this does not affect his team's efforts, as personnel stay vigilant and monitor suspicious activity.

He emphasized that all personnel on duty will detain any suspected individuals before conducting further investigations. "Even if they move in small groups of two to three people, their presence can still be detected," he added.