PORT DICKSON, March 3 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained 22 illegal Indonesian immigrants including three boat skippers for attempting to leave the country illegally last night.
Melaka and Negeri Sembilan MMEA director Maritime Captain Haris Fadzillah Abdullah said all of them were detained at 10 pm during a routine operation carried out in the waters off Kuala Sepang, Linggi.
“Acting on intelligence cooperation with the Maritime Criminal Investigation Department Division, the team spotted the presence of a suspicious boat heading towards the Indonesian waters.
“The boat sped off after noticing the presence of the MMEA personnel before being detained about 9.6 nautical miles west of Kuala Sepang,” he said here today.
Haris Fadzillah said an inspection found that the unregistered boat had been used to bring in and out illegal immigrants using ungazetted routes.
He believed that the activity was masterminded by a syndicate with members comprising both locals and foreigners.
Haris Fadzillah said the detainees aged between 12 and 64 would be investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007. — Bernama
