Immigration Cracks Down on Smuggling Network, 22 Arrested in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian immigration authorities have dismantled a migrant smuggling network with the arrest of 22 individuals in a series of coordinated raids across the capital.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation led to the detention of two suspected transporters, a Malaysian and a Bangladeshi national—believed to be key figures in a smuggling syndicate known as the “Sojul Gang.”

He said the enforcement action began at around 1.30pm on Sunday when officers intercepted a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a sports utility vehicle at a supermarket parking area along Jalan Kuchai Lama. Inspections of the vehicles resulted in the arrest of eight individuals, including six Bangladeshi men, one Bangladeshi woman, and one Myanmar man, all suspected of having entered the country illegally.

Following the initial arrests, immigration officers conducted a follow-up raid at a condominium unit in the same area, believed to be used as a temporary hideout and transit location for the syndicate. Twelve Bangladeshi men aged between 18 and 49 were detained during the operation.

According to Zakaria, preliminary findings suggest the migrants had recently arrived from a neighboring country and were awaiting transportation to various destinations in the Klang Valley and southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia.

Authorities also seized two vehicles, multiple Bangladeshi passports, and cash amounting to RM82,100 and US$3,700 during the raids.

All detainees have been placed at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigation under several laws, including the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007, the Immigration Act 1959/63, Immigration Regulations 1963, and the Passport Act 1966.

Zakaria said investigations indicate the syndicate has been operating since December, facilitating the illegal entry of foreign nationals into Malaysia via third countries before crossing into Kelantan. From there, migrants were transported to the Klang Valley and subsequently distributed nationwide.

The syndicate is believed to have charged up to RM12,000 per individual, generating an estimated RM1.2 million in illicit earnings since its operations began.

Immigration authorities reiterated their commitment to intensifying enforcement efforts against migrant smuggling, illegal entry, and passport-related offenses.