Joint army patrol foils illegal entry by six foreigners

LUNDU: Six foreigners, including two women, were ordered to return  to their country of origin after being caught entering Sarawak illegally today (Sept 19).

The First Infantry Division said a team of Malaysian and Indonesian soldiers encountered the group walking from the Indonesia border into the state at 1 pm in Biawak.

“All of them, aged between 20 and 40, were detained for inspections after entering the country via an illegal route, about 230 metres from the border.

“Further questioning revealed that the group members were on their way to work in Sarawak.

“Examinations also did not find any prohibited or dangerous items among the foreigners’ possessions which included sum of cash, phones, wallets and clothes with a total value of RM4,036,” the division said.

Following the checks, the foreigners were escorted to the state’s border to be deported back to Indonesia.

Since January, the army has carried out 25 deportations involving 178 foreigners.

The army assured that it was committed to tightening  border control and safeguarding the state’s sovereignty from any illegal entries or cross-border crimes.