Central Brigade PGA busts migrant smuggling syndicate in Sabak Bernam

Malaysian authorities have dismantled a people-smuggling syndicate in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, arresting 35 individuals in an early morning raid on June 10. The operation, conducted by the Central Brigade of the General Operations Force (PGA), targeted a group believed to be actively involved in bringing undocumented migrants into the country.

According to PGA Central Brigade Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Hakemal Hawari, seven local men suspected of being land "tekong" (traffickers) and transporters were apprehended. Alongside them, 28 Indonesian nationals, comprising 24 men and four women, were detained for lacking valid travel documents. The detainees were estimated to be between 20 and 50 years old.

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28 Indonesian nationals, comprising 24 men and four women, were found to have no valid travel documents.

The operation resulted in the seizure of seven vehicles – six cars and one motorcycle – believed to be used in the smuggling activities, along with seven mobile phones. The total value of the confiscated items is estimated at RM360,000. The syndicate allegedly charged between RM1,500 and RM2,500 per migrant smuggled into Malaysia.

These arrests are part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. Since January 1, Task Force Delta has conducted 11 raids, leading to 22 cases and the arrest of 247 individuals. This includes 32 suspected smugglers and transporters, as well as 160 adult males, 54 adult females, and one boy identified as undocumented migrants. The total value of assets seized across 187 recorded raids this year by the Central Brigade in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor has reached RM1.5 million.

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The fee charged by the syndicate to smuggle each migrant into the country was around RM1,500 to RM2,500 per individual.