KOTA KINABALU: A 51-year-old boatman has been arrested for human smuggling by allegedly trying to sneak five undocumented migrants into Sabah from the southern Philippines.
Marine police patrols intercepted a boat in waters off Sibangkat Island in the east coast Semporna district, close to the Philippines' Tawi Tawi Island chain.
Marine police Region Four commander Asst Comm Mohd Nazri Ibrahim said on Thursday (Nov 7) that the man and the five migrants, aged between 19 and 50, were arrested at about 7.30am on Wednesday (Nov 6).
He said patrols detected a speedboat travelling suspiciously and intercepted it after a chase.
"The skipper and the five passengers involved are all foreigners. They did not have any valid identification documents," he said.
ACP Nazri said during initial questioning, the suspects said they entered Semporna waters from Bongao Island in the southern Philippines.
The case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, he said.
"The public plays an important role in channelling information related to criminal activities of smuggling in this state," he added.
