SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) thwarted an attempt to smuggle 32 undocumented migrants out of Malaysia in the waters off Kuala Selangor early this morning.
Deputy director of operations Maritime Commander Mohd Fairusnizam Abdul Razak said the wooden boat was intercepted at around 4.15am during patrols under Ops Ehsan and Ops Khas Tanjung 2.
"The MMEA patrol boat detected a suspicious red and blue vessel without registration approximately 3.6 nautical miles southwest of Kuala Selangor. When ordered to stop, the boat’s captain attempted to flee but was intercepted 15 minutes later, " he said in a statement on Friday (Jan 16).
Upon inspection, 23 men and nine women, aged between 24 and 60, were found onboard. All were Indonesian nationals and lacked valid identification.
The suspects and the vessel were seized and escorted to the Marine Police Jetty in Pulau Indah for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
Mohd Fairusnizam urged the public to report any maritime incidents or crimes to Selangor MMEA's Operations Centre at 013-660 6652 or emergency line 999. – Bernama
