He said officers carried out a special four-day operation, “Ops Dudley”, from Aug 19 and five members of the gang were arrested.

Ruslin said they included the leader, a 40-year-old local male known as “Dudley”, assisted by four male Indian nationals, aged between 25 and 40.

“This gang is believed to have been active since May 2022 after border entry points reopened following the pandemic.

“They would promise jobs on ships, with their victims brought to Malaysia through KLIA, allowing them to take flights to Miri and Sibu,” he said.

Ruslin said they had rescued 12 male Indian nationals and they are now in a safe house.

He said the victims were each required to pay RM20,000 to RM25,000 to the gang to be brought into Malaysia.

Immigration officers seized RM600 in cash, 75 Indian passports, seven Indonesian passports, three Myanmar passports, four laptops and three vehicles.

Ruslin said the suspects had been remanded for seven days for smuggling migrants under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, with the four Indian suspects held at the Semuja immigration detention centre.