SHAH ALAM, March 30 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) rescued 18 illegal immigrants after their boat capsized in the waters off Kuala Selangor on Thursday (March 28).
Its director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin said in the incident, MMEA received information about the capsized boat carrying a group of illegal immigrants, who were reportedly taking shelter at a lighthouse in the area.
“MMEA, via the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) in Johor Bahru, received a report at 9.55am from one of the victims’ family members via the MERS 999 hotline.
“The victims, consisting of 11 men and seven women from a neighbouring country, survived the incident and were at the lighthouse in the vicinity,” he said in a statement today.
Hamid said MMEA sought the assistance of the Marine Police Force (PPM) to rescue and bring the victims to the PPM Jetty at Pulau Indah for further action.
The victims were believed to have attempted to enter the country illegally before the boat they were on capsized, and all of them survived after successfully swimming to the lighthouse.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that none of them had valid travel documents, and the case is being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering and exiting Malaysia through unauthorised routes and under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007.
— Bernama
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