ALOR SETAR, July 21 — Two Rohingya men were detained for attempting to offer a RM25,000 bribe to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) officers for the release of 25 undocumented immigrants smuggled into the country.

According to MACC sources, both the suspects, 29 and 35 years old, were believed to be acting as boat skippers and were active in human smuggling activities specifically Rohingya, mainly to Langkawi.

‘‘They were detained at 3.35am today when attempting to bribe enforcement officers for the release of 25 Rohingya illegals. The illegals had been detained in an operation conducted by MACC and MMEA after landing in Langkawi.

‘‘The suspects tried to bribe the MMEA officers with RM1,000 for the release of every illegal detained. All the illegals were detained at a house in Padang Matsirat, Langkawi,’’ he said here, today.

Advertisement

He said the case would be investigated under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 and both the suspects were taken to the Magistrate’s Court here today for a remand order under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Kedah MACC director, Datuk Shaharom Nizam Abd Manap, when contacted, confirmed the arrests, saying that both the suspects would be handed over to the police for further action under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.

In a separate case, Shaharom Nizam said MACC also detained a contractor and his son on allegation of making a false claim of RM50,000 for the purchase and maintenance of a closed circuit camera system at an army camp in the state three years ago.

Advertisement

He said the 48-year-old man was detained at the Kedah MACC office at 7.35pm yesterday while his son, 27, who was also the manager of a company, was detained a day earlier at 12.12pm.

‘‘The contractor is being remanded for seven days starting today while his son is also being remanded seven days from yesterday. Both the suspects are being investigated under Section 18, of the MACC Act 2009,’’ he added. — Bernama