‘Abang Bangla’ held on suspicion of running human smuggling ring
PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department detained a Bangladeshi man known as “Abang Bangla” in Alam Megah, Shah Alam, yesterday on suspicion of running a syndicate to smuggle blacklisted foreigners into the country.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the 43-year-old man was detained in an operation at 2am.
A 49-year-old Malaysian man was also arrested for helping the syndicate.
Mustafar said 50 other Bangladeshis, aged between 20 and 45, were arrested in a separate raid in Shah Alam.
“Preliminary investigations showed that ‘Abang Bangla’, whose real name is Abdur Rauf, has been smuggling people into Malaysia for eight months.
“Some have been blacklisted as they have committed immigration offences in the country, including working illegally or possessing expired permits. Some have served sentences.
“Since they have been blacklisted, they cannot enter Malaysia legally.”
He said the syndicate’s modus operandi was buying flight tickets for foreigners from Dhaka to Jakarta, where they take a boat to enter Malaysia illegally.
He said the foreigners used illegal routes and the drop-off point was in Sekinchan, Selangor.
“They pay between RM15,000 and RM20,000 to the syndicate to enter Malaysia.
“They are then placed at a temporary house in Sekinchan until they settle the payment.
“After paying in full, they will be handed over to agents or employers.”
During the operation, the department seized RM13,400, 48 passports and a taxi.
The case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1959/63.
On another case, Mustafar said the department raided a warehouse in Subang Jaya on Thursday and arrested 183 foreigners, including two women, for working permit violations.
They are from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
“We are identifying the warehouse owner and the companies that brought in the foreigners.”