Ibrohim Benna, a justice expert official at the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), said officials would be sent to aid the Thai citizens.

He said the Thai citizens from the deep South were being held at the Machap Umboo detention facility and accused of violating Malaysian immigration law by entering the country as tourists and then opening shops in Melaka. They face up to six months in prison and/or a 1,000-ringgit (Bt7,950) fine.

Suhaiming Maming, 28, from Narathiwat’s Yi Ngo district, filed a complaint with the SBPAC on January 18 claiming that four of his relatives had been arrested on January 14, along with others. The SBPAC investigated the incident and has begun working with authorities to assist the detainees.

In a separate case, Malaysian police arrested 21 elderly Thai women, also from the deep South, last September for working in Johor State without proper documentation. As of January 19, 12 women had been sent home, while the remaining nine were still in custody.