JOHOR BAHRU, April 3 — Police have arrested eight Indonesian men believed to be involved in migrant smuggling in the waters off Kukup near Pontian during Ops Pintas Bersepadu and Taring Landai on Wednesday and yesterday.
Pontian Police chief Supt Hadzrat Hussien Mion Hussain said the suspects, aged between 21 and 36, were picked up during the joint operation between the district police’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Kukup Region Two Marine Police.
He said that during a Wednesday operation at 8 pm, five individuals were arrested, comprising a suspected caretaker of a transit house, a boat skipper, and three migrants.
“Follow-up arrests yesterday at about 6 pm led to the detention of three more Indonesian men believed to be acting as a transporter, boat skipper and an assistant caretaker of the transit house,” he said in a statement today.
He said the operation was the result of two weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance focusing on areas with potential for such activities, including fish cage farms in the waters off Kukup.
Hadzrat Hussien said the police also seized two boats and three mobile phones of various brands, with the total estimated at RM50,000.
He said five of those detained tested positive for methamphetamine. — Bernama
