Arau: The Perlis Immigration Department detained a 43-year-old local man suspected of transporting illegal immigrants in a special operation in Arau last Sunday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Perlis Immigration director Mohammad A'sim Md Ali said the suspect was arrested at about 4 am after a team from the department's Intelligence and Special Operations Division followed a suspicious vehicle. The arrest led to the detention of three Myanmar nationals, two men and a woman, aged between 30 and 43, at a self-service laundry in Arau.

Mohammad A'sim detailed that surveillance on the suspect had been ongoing for nearly three months, with frequent changes in the suspect's modus operandi. During a media briefing, he stated that all the individuals were checked and are believed to have committed offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63. They were subsequently taken to the immigration office for further investigation.

He reported that the department had carried out 166 enforcement operations in Perlis from January 1 to May 11, checking 1,930 individuals. Among those checked, 130 illegal immigrants were detained, including 115 men and 15 women, with 14 employers also facing action. Mohammad A'sim further highlighted that plantation areas in Chuping, near Padang Besar, have been identified as hotspots for migrant smuggling due to the challenging terrain, particularly between 3 am and 5 am.