Photo shows the undocumented immigrants before being escorted back to the Malaysia-Indonesia border. – Photo by the First Infantry Division
KUCHING (June 23): Seven undocumented immigrants were ordered to return to Indonesia after they were found inside an oil palm plantation in Biawak, Lundu around 12pm today.
The First Infantry Division in a statement today said the immigrants aged between 18 and 56, consisted of five men and two women.
“No illegal items or goods were found on the immigrants during checks that were conducted by the Malaysian and Indonesian army,” said the statement.
It said the immigrants were spotted by the joint patrol team walking towards Malaysia at one of the ‘Jalan Tikus’ (illegal pathways) in the plantation.
Interrogation revealed that all them were on their way to work in Malaysia.
After the interrogation and documentation, they were escorted back to the border and ordered to leave.
At around 1.45pm, the army again stumbled upon 20 undocumented immigrants some 118 metres from the border in the same area.
All of the immigrants aged between 18 and 56 years old were men and they were also escorted back to the border.
A police report has been lodged at the Lundu police station over the two incidents.
The First Infantry Division said since Jan this year, a total of 98 undocumented immigrants have been ordered to return to their home country since Jan this year.