KANGAR: A Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) personnel was killed and three others injured when their boat collided with a concrete structure during an enforcement operation off Kuala Sungai Padang, Kuala Perlis.
Kedah and Perlis Maritime director First Admiral Romli Mustafa said five MMEA personnel were conducting the operation at 11.37pm on Monday to intercept a boat suspected of carrying undocumented Myanmar migrants.
He said the suspected migrant boat sped towards the shore after being detected, triggering a 15-minute pursuit.
The boat is believed to have rammed the MMEA vessel, causing it to collide with a concrete structure near the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority jetty.
“The impact threw three of the five personnel overboard, including one who was reported missing.
“He was found floating in the sea and pronounced dead, believed to have sustained serious head injuries,” he told a press conference yesterday, Bernama reported.
The deceased was identified as Mohd Roshaimi Mohd Ridzuan, 41, an MMEA technical officer.
Romli said the injured personnel suffered a fractured wrist, chest pain and pain on both sides of the ribs.
He said nine suspected undocumented Myanmar migrants, comprising seven men and two women, and two Thai male boat operators were detained in the incident.
“Checks found that all those detained were suspected of offences under the Immigration Act and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act,” he said.
