In Batu Pahat, Malaysia, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has apprehended six individuals from Indonesia who were attempting to depart the country through Tampok near Pontian.
The director of the Batu Pahat maritime zone, maritime commander Mohd Haniff Mohd Yunus, stated that the agency noticed a suspicious boat within Malaysian waters at around 9.30am on Friday (March 15).
Upon intercepting the boat, it was discovered that there were six Indonesians on board, located approximately 10 nautical miles southwest of Tampok.
According to Mohd Haniff, the captain and passengers, aged between 26 and 42, did not possess any identification documents necessary to enter Malaysia.
Further investigations revealed that the group was attempting to leave Malaysia and travel towards Batam in Indonesia.
The boat, along with the suspects, was transported to the Batu Pahat maritime zone jetty and handed over to the investigation unit for additional scrutiny.
The boat’s skipper is currently under investigation under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007 in conjunction with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, the five Indonesian passengers are undergoing investigation under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Mohd Haniff affirmed that the MMEA will persist in its enforcement operations to safeguard the waters of Johor.
