Muscat: Oman police arrested seven human traffickers trying to bring 18 Asians illegally into Oman, according to a Royal Oman Police press release on Wednesday.
“We got information that an Asian national was trying to smuggle a group by sea off Birka town about 100km north to Muscat,” said Major Aqil Bin Abdullah Al Ajmi, who was in charge of the ROP operation.
Investigations revealed that a gang was operating in the south Batinah region and they were harbouring illegals after being dropped off by boat along the coast, he said.
“It is clear that there are some citizens and residents involved directly or indirectly in providing accommodation as well as employment to infiltrators” Al Ajmi pointed out.
“These illegal residents are posing security risks to the country,” he said, adding that most of them were involved in various crimes such as drug trafficking, thefts and violation of the country’s telecommunications regulations.
“They are a major source of communicable diseases as they are not subjected to medical tests to enter the country,” he added.
