PASIR PUTEH, March 8 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle 16 Myanmar migrants, including five women, via a river route in Kota Bharu during an early morning operation on Friday.

Kelantan MMEA director, Maritime Captain Kamal Mohamad, said all were arrested at Sungai Kampung Kijang after a speedboat carrying them was spotted five nautical miles offshore.

He said MMEA teams conducting Ops Naga, Ops Damai, Ops Tirus, and Ops Khas Pagar Laut chased the boat after spotting suspicious activity.

“The boat escaped by speeding into a narrow, shallow river. Darkness made it hard for patrol boats to approach, so a land team was sent to intercept the group,” he said at a press conference today.

Kamal said the search led to the arrest of 16 individuals, aged 16 to 51, along the riverbank.

He said a 36-year-old local man was also arrested, suspected of transporting the migrants by land.

“Preliminary investigations found all the foreigners had worked in restaurants, eateries, and construction across the country before being smuggled by syndicates to a neighbouring nation.

“The migrants said they were charged RM3,500 each to return to Myanmar, while the land transporter earned RM250 per trip,” he added.

All suspects were taken to Kelantan Maritime Headquarters for further investigation under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1959/63 for migrant smuggling and lacking valid travel documents. — Bernama