KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian coastguards arrested five illegal immigrants trying to enter the state on a local cargo boat in waters off Sabah's east coast Sandakan district at about 4.30pm on Sunday (March 12).
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sandakan zone director Capt Zainuddin Mohd Zuki said that they found six passengers on the boat after it was intercepted in waters off Pulau Libaran that straddles close to Philippines waters.
He said five of the passengers did not have any travel documents while the sixth passenger was a man holding an Immigration IMM13 pass issued to Filipino refugees and their families who came to Sabah in the 1970s.
The six comprise three men aged 35 to 63, and three women aged 22 to 60, said Capt Zainuddin said in a statement Monday (March 13).
He said they also detained the 42-year-old local boat skipper.
The boat was coming in from the southern Philippines island of Boan towards Sandakan with the illegal immigrants.
Capt Zainuddin said that the cargo boat licence had also expired.
The boat along with all passengers and skipper were arrested and escorted to the Maritime zone jetty for further investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63, and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Enactment 2002.
