Driver arrested after car carrying illegal immigrants involved in road crash

BESUT: A man's hope of making quick money was dashed when a Perodua car he was driving with a shipment of 10 illegal immigrants was invoved in a road crash at Kampung Tok Dor near here yesterday and he was arrested by the police.

Besut district police chief Supt Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the man was believed to have been offered RM1,200 to transport the foreigners from Chiku in Gua Musang, Kelantan, to Gambang, Pahang.

He said the crash occurred at about 7.20 am when the man was believed to have fallen asleep behind the wheels and crashed into a Proton Persona car, which was heading in the same direction, causing its driver to lose control of the wheel and collided with an oncoming Proton Wira car.

Following the crash, he said, the illegal immigrants fled, leaving one of them, who was injured, at the scene.

However, three of them were apprehended by villagers and handed over to the police, he said in a statement today.

He said the police were looking for the remaining six illegal immigrants.

The illegal immigrants who were arrested, including the injured, are aged between 19 and 47, while the driver, who is 34 years old tested positive for drugs.

The car driver, who was also injured in the crash, has previous records for drug-related offences, said Abdul Rozak, adding that he and the injured illegal immigrant were sent to Besut Hospital for treatment.

He said the police seized four pills, believed to be ecstasy pills, and six handphones in the incident.

-- BERNAMA