PASIR MAS: The 8th Battalion of the General Operations Force (PGA8) arrested two "tekong darat" (human trafficking agents) and 16 Myanmar illegal immigrants after stopping a lorry in Kampung Batu Karang here last Sunday (30 Jan).

PGA8 commanding officer Supt Mat Shukor Yusof said the illegal immigrants who were detained in the 6 pm incident comprised two women and 14 men, aged between 20 and 40.

He said the lorry was stopped after the PGA8 team found it being driven in a suspicious manner.

The two local men, both in their 30s, were the lorry driver and attendant, while the 16 Myanmar illegal immigrants were found hiding at the back of the lorry, he said in a statement today.

He said the illegal immigrants were believed to have sneaked into the country through an illegal jetty before they were picked up by the lorry.

All of them have been handed over to the police for further action, he added.

-- BERNAMA