Foreigner feared drowned during raid

KOTA BARU: An undocumented migrant is feared to have drowned after jumping into the Kelantan river while trying to flee a General Operations Force (GOF) raid here.

GOF Southeast Brigade commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the operation, conducted with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), was carried out along the riverbank in Kampung Lembah Sireh at 11.30pm yesterday.

He said nine Indonesians, comprising six men and three women, and an Indian man were detained during the raid.

"We also seized a Nissan Almera and a motorcycle. All those detained were handed over to the Kota Baru district police headquarters for further action.

"Following the arrests, we conducted a second raid and search at the location at 1.15am today to trace other undocumented migrants believed to still be in the area around the river.

"During the follow-up operation, we detained a local man who admitted to acting as a land-based smuggler, three Pakistani men and an Indian man.

"The smuggler informed us that an undocumented migrant was believed to have drowned after jumping into the river while fleeing," he said.

Radzi said the incident was reported to the Kota Baru district police headquarters operations room and the Marine Police for further action.