PONTIAN: Six foreigners have been detained after being caught trying to leave the country illegally during a special operation here.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) acting director Maritime Captain Kama Azri Kamil said the suspects were arrested at about 11.30pm on Tuesday (March 11) while attempting to exit the country through the waters off Tanjung Piai.
“We received intelligence on the movement of a suspicious boat, which was believed to be carrying individuals out of the country illegally.
“Following the information, a patrol boat was deployed to the location and managed to detect the boat about 1.7 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Piai,” he said in a statement here.
He said the boat attempted to flee towards the waters of a neighbouring country upon realising the presence of the authorities.
“However, we were later able to successfully intercept it and arrest the six men on board,” he said, adding that the men were believed to be Indonesians aged between 21 and 55.
The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for using an ungazetted route to leave the country, said Kama Azri.
He also noted that the arrests were part of the implementation of Ops Khas Pagar Laut, an operation carried out throughout Ramadan and Syawal to strengthen security control in the nation’s waters.
“The operation focuses on identified hotspot areas frequently used for smuggling activities and the movement of illegal immigrants.
“We have increased patrols and monitoring by deploying assets and personnel in key areas to ensure the security and sovereignty of the nation’s waters remain protected,” he said.
He urged the public, especially the maritime community, with any information or complaints regarding suspicious activities at sea to contact the emergency line at 999 or the Johor Maritime Operations Centre at 013-700 1235 for immediate action.
