9 nabbed for smuggling migrants to mine rare earths

9 nabbed for smuggling migrants to mine rare earths

The suspects are believed to have exploited foreign workers at the Bukit Enggang forest reserve in Kedah.

Kedah police chief Fisol Salleh said the nine suspects are believed to have acted as agents in smuggling the migrants to mine rare earths. (Utusan pic)
ALOR SETAR:
Kedah police have arrested nine people, including four Myanmar nationals, over their alleged involvement in smuggling migrants to illegally mine rare earth elements (REE) at the Bukit Enggang forest reserve in Sik.

Kedah police chief Fisol Salleh said the nine individuals, aged between 21 and 60, are believed to have acted as agents in smuggling the migrants.

“On June 21, we arrested four local residents, including a woman. On June 25, another suspect and four Myanmar nationals were nabbed in a raid in Baling.

“We also seized several tools and more than four gunny sacks of minerals containing REE weighing about 99kg,” he told reporters at the Kedah police headquarters here today.

Following the arrests, investigations were carried out under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007 and the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Yesterday, four of the suspects were brought to court and slapped with 18 charges under the Acts.

Fisol said police were tracking down a 46-year-old Malaysian believed to be the mastermind.

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