TEBEDU: A patrol team of the 13th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment (13 RAMD) last Saturday (Oct 31) deported six illegal immigrants from Sarawak.
The First Infantry Division in a statement said the soldiers, led by Sergeant Muhd Nasaruddin Hamdan, were patrolling ‘rat trails’ (jalan tikus) at the Sarawak-Kalimantan border here.
“At 11.45pm, the team detained six individuals, suspected to be illegal immigrants, for attempting to cross into Sarawak from Entikong, Indonesia.
“Upon inspection, the team found waist bags, four phones and RM150 cash, with a total value of RM300,” the statement said.
The immigrants were deported to their country to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 at the detention centre, as recommended by the Senior Minister of Defence who stated that Ops Benteng is now focusing on the banishment of illegal immigrants instead of arrests.
The deportation was in line with the operation’s main focus, which is to strictly control the country’s borders by banning the entry of immigrants to stop cross-border crime as well as curbing the spread of Covid-19.
