KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Road Transport Department (RTD) will give its full co-operation to the Immigration Department in stopping illegal immigrants on express buses at any of the bus terminals in the state.
RTD director Mohd Misuari Abdullah said the department would also assist stop any buses or vehicles suspected to have carried illegal immigrants.
"The state RTD is on standby now and ready to assist the Immigration Department in nabbing illegal immigrants who are sent by members of human trafficking syndicates to bus terminals in Lembah Sireh or other stations.
"It is our duty to collaborate with other enforcement agencies in the state.
"In this case, our RTD officers can assist immigration by stopping express buses or other vehicles suspected of carrying illegal immigrants," he said.
He also said it was normal for the state RTD officers to inspect express buses at the main terminal in Lembah Sireh.
"We have conducted regular operations there to check on bus drivers as well as their passengers," he added.
It was reported that a human-trafficking syndicate is suspected of recruiting motorcycle riders to transport illegal migrants from transit houses to express bus terminals here.
Its activities have been disrupted following the recent crackdown by the Immigration Department at local bus stations.
Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh recently said that a human-trafficking syndicate was crippled with the arrest of two Malaysian men and 33 illegal migrants in Kelantan recently.
He said the illegals were nabbed in Kubang Kerian and Lembah Sireh here on June 10.
Ruslin said 19 Special Tactical Unit members, along with the Kelantan Immigration border risk unit, were mobilised to track a group of illegals.
Ruslin said the syndicate is believed to have changed its modus operandi by recruiting motorcycle riders to transport illegal migrants from transit houses to express bus terminals in Lembah Sireh.
"This is to expedite the movement of illegals to areas outside Kelantan and to avoid detection by the authorities," he said.
Ruslin said the syndicate charged the illegal migrants between RM2,000 and RM3,000 each for ferrying them to Kuala Lumpur or other cities