KOTA KINABALU: Eight illegal immigrants were detained by the Tawau Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) while they were collecting seaweed in the waters of Pulau Sebatik.
The director of Tawau MMEA, Maritime Capt Shahrizan Raman, stated that the individuals were found on two boats, with four crew members on each vessel.
The individuals, believed to be Indonesians, are between the ages of 18 and 41.
The arrests were carried out on Thursday (July 27) during a patrol conducted under Ops Pluto Timur 2/13, Ops Sejahtera 1/22, and Ops Tiris, as stated in a press release on Friday (July 28).
During their patrol, the team spotted two canoe-type boats engaged in seaweed harvesting in their designated area of operation.
Shahrizan said, “All eight detainees were found to be without valid travel documents. They have been brought to the Tawau maritime jetty for further investigations in accordance with the Immigration Act 1959/63.”
The vessels, engines, and personal belongings onboard were confiscated, with an estimated total value exceeding RM50,000, Shahrizan added.
He called on the public, particularly the coastal community, to assist the agency by reporting any crimes in the waters of Tawau to the Tawau maritime operations centre at 089-752 116 or through MERS 999.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
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