Malaysian Police Dismantle Migrant Smuggling Syndicate, Uncover Illegal Bitcoin Mines

Malaysian authorities have made significant strides in combating human trafficking and cybercrime with two major operations conducted recently.

The Manjung police chief, ACP Hasbullah Abd Rahman, revealed that a syndicate involved in smuggling undocumented Indonesian migrants was busted on April 4. The operation, which involved raids from Jalan Besar Segari to Batu Hilal near Segari, resulted in the detention of 40 Indonesians and one local woman believed to have acted as a transporter.

The case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM) and the Immigration Act 1959/63. Following this, police intensified follow-up operations to curb migrant entry through illegal routes, particularly along coastal areas.

On April 14, police carried out another operation with the Kampung Acheh Marine Police, detaining 10 more Indonesians in Kampung Sungai Lombong near Lekir for failing to produce valid identification documents. This brings the total arrests in the follow-up operations to 17.

In a separate case, authorities uncovered an illegal bitcoin mining operation involving four premises suspected of using illegal electricity connections to power mining machines. Four individuals were detained and 46 machines were seized.