Soldiers intercept 12 illegals at border, order them to turn back
KUCHING: Twelve illegal immigrants were ordered to return to their own country Sunday by soldiers patrolling the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.
A press statement from the First Infantry Division yesterday said seven of the foreigners were intercepted in three separate occasions in Kandaie, Lundu while five were stopped in Tebedu, Serian.
“The first encounter was at 1.25pm when soldiers patrolling illegal entry points along the border in Kandaie stopped three foreigners, including a child, who were trying to enter the state.
“The second and third encounters were also in Kandaie, around 2.30pm and 3.05pm respectively, involving a total of four foreigners. All four who hailed from Karangan, Indonesia stated their intention of entering Sarawak was to seek employment in Lundu,” said the statement.
The last encounter took place around 11pm when soldiers intercepted three men and two women who had crossed into
Tebedu on foot.
All five did not have valid documents and were planning to travel to Sibu to seek employment there, added the statement.
Meanwhile, a First Infantry Division spokesperson was quoted in the statement as saying the army has been able to thwart attempts to enter the state illegally as well as crossborder criminal activities during this current pandemic through strict border controls and swift action.
The army together with other security teams under the National Task Force through Ops Benteng, is always committed to carrying out its assigned responsibilities and will not compromise with any party that tries to cross the country’s border illegally, added the spokesperson.