83 Illegal Immigrants Detained In Raid At Kota Tinggi

JOHOR BAHRU, (Johor, Malaysia) May 3 (Bernama) – Eighty-three illegal immigrants, including a five-year-old boy, were detained by the Region Two Marine Operations Force (MOF) in two separate raids in Kota Tinggi, Monday. Its commander, ACP Paul Khiu Khon Chiang said in the first raid at 3.30pm at Sungai Tengah, six Indonesians, aged between 23 and 35, were detained. He said further checks revealed the immigrants did not posses any valid travel documents while a local man, who worked as a taxi driver and believed to be a middleman who transported the immigrants to their destinations, was also arrested. “In the second raid, 77 Indonesians, aged between five and 52, comprising 67 men, nine women and a boy, were arrested at Pantai Batu Layar , "The suspects hid in the forest near the beach to wait for boats to return to their country through the illegal route,” he told reporters here Tuesday. He added all suspects were brought to Bandar Penawar police station in Kota Tinggi for further action. The case was being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Amendment 2002) for illegal entry and exit, Section 6(1)(c) of the same act for not possessing valid travel documents and Section 15(5) for overstaying. Meanwhile, the taxi driver would be investigated under Section 27J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007, he added. -- BERNAMA