Kota bharu: The General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade has successfully detained 360 illegal immigrants in Kelantan since the beginning of this year as part of the Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan (OTWK) initiative, running from January 1 to May 15.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, GOF Southeast Brigade Commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain reported that the majority of those arrested were Myanmar nationals, numbering 264. They were followed by 40 Thai nationals, 30 Bangladeshis, and nine Indonesians. Additionally, the authorities detained eight Indians, four Vietnamese, three Chinese nationals, and one person each from Nepal and Pakistan.

Throughout the operation, 78 raids were conducted by officers and personnel from the GOF Southeast Brigade headquarters and the GOF 7th, 8th, and 9th Battalions. These raids targeted identified hotspots such as illegal jetties in Rantau Panjang, Pengkalan Kubor, Jeram Perdah, and Chabang Empat, which are commonly used by illegal immigrants as entry points.

A total of 110 cases have been initiated against the detained individuals and their 'tekongs'-human traffickers or guides-under various offences. These offences fall under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM). The charges include entering Malaysia through unauthorized routes, staying without valid travel documents, overstaying, and harboring illegal immigrants.