The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) reportedly detained 37 Bangladeshis as they attempted to enter the nation illegally by boat in waters around Kuala Sepang in Selangor.
During the 1am operation, Melaka and Negri Sembilan MMEA Director Captain Iskandar Ishak stated that his troops captured four Indonesians who tried to smuggle in migrants on the boat, widely known as "bot pancung”, reports The Star.
He said: "We initiated an operation about 11pm on Thursday when our radar spotted the passage of a suspicious-looking contact into Malaysian seas."
"One of our patrol boats was dispatched to the region, and we discovered an unregistered boat around 1.2 nautical miles off Kuala Sepang," he added in a statement.
Captain Iskandar also mentioned: “The Indonesian tekong (coordinator) and his four subordinates, aged 18 to 46, also failed to offer any identity documents when asked. All 41 people on board were subsequently taken to the MMEA jetty and detained.”
The investigation was conducted in accordance with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Amendment) Act 2022 and the Immigration Act 1959/63.
According to Iskandar, the MMEA has increased surveillance and enforcement along hotspots to avoid cross-border crime as the country reached the Covid-19 pandemic.
