Malaysian Police Confirm 22 Filipino Immigrants Not The Wanted Suspects

TAWAU (Sabah, Malaysia), July 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Sabah police have confirmed 22 of the 29 illegal immigrants arrested by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in east Malaysian state Sabah waters here Wednesday, were not the cross-border crime suspects wanted by the state security forces. Sabah Police Commissioner Ramli Din said the 22 immigrants comprised 16 men and six women aged 20 to 61 years were investigated and all of them were Filipino civilians who were looking for a new life in the state. “They are not on the wanted list or under the radar who can be detained for the illegal activities (cross-border crimes) in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone),” he said in a press conference, here Thursday. On Wednesday, the MMEA detained 29 illegal immigrants including seven children from Bongao Island in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines who attempted to enter Sabah using a pump boat through Sungai Kinabutan Kecil waters, here, around 4 am. District maritime director, Captain Romli Mustafa said all immigrants including the skipper travelled 22 hours or 100 nautical miles to the landing site at Sungai Kinabutan Kecil in Tawau. Following the arrest, the MMEA asked the police to screen the 22 adult immigrants whether they were involved in cross-border crimes including kidnapping for ransom in the ESSZone. -- BERNAMA