62 Turkish nationals’ bid to enter Malaysia illegally foiled by General Operations Force
PADANG BESAR: The General Operations Force (GOF) thwarted a bid by 62 Turkish nationals, including 24 children to enter Malaysia illegally via Thailand on Wednesday.
Bidor Third GOF Battalion assistant commanding officer Deputy Superintendent S Sivam said the illegal immigrants’ movements were detected by members of the GOF, who were on duty at the guard post at about 5.30 am and they were detained while trying to enter the country’s border through the Malaysia-Thailand border fence at Immigration Post 16 and 17, near here.
“GOF personnel, who became suspicious by the visible human movement early in the morning, stormed and surrounded the illegal immigrants,” he told a media conference at the Immigration Post 19, here, yesterday.
He said all the Turkish nationals, including 23 men, aged between 19 to 23, 15 women, aged betwen 25 to 40, 15 boys, aged between nine months to 11 years, and nine girls, aged five months to eight years, were believed to be from Ankara, Turkey and did not have any identification or valid travel documents to enter Malaysia.
On interrogating one of them, Abdullah Zaid, 20, who could speak English, it was discovered they were family members, husbands and wives and acquaintances from Ankara, said DSP Sivam.
According to the man, a friend had told them life in Malaysia was easy and coupled with the peaceful atmosphere of the country, which attracted them to come here by travelling by boat over several days to Thailand and then walked for two days to reach the border. — Bernama