Six Filipinas held for illegal entry into Sandakan to work
SANDAKAN: Six women from the Philippines were arrested by the marine police at Tinosa, mile 7 waters here for attempting to enter Sandakan illegally to work.
Commanding officer of the Sandakan marine police, ACP Mohd Yazib Bin Abd Aziz, said the Marine Intelligence Unit chased after a boat after receiving information around 2.30am yesterday.
The boat was heading towards Sungai Tinosa 1 mile 7 here when it lost control at Sungai Baru mile 7 and stranded near a swamp. The boatman jumped off and escaped into the swamp.
Six women aged between 20 and 38 were found in the boat. Three of them did not have selfidentification documents while the three others had Philippine passports that were not stamped. They were arrested under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 while the boat and engine were seized.
Early investigation revealed that all the passengers had boarded a boat at Isabella, Basilan Philippines and headed to the Malaysia-Philippines border where they took a speedboat to Sandakan.
All the passengers did not make any payments to agents and they were promised jobs in Sabah.
Meanwhile, the MMEA Kudat has thwarted an attempt to smuggle petrol worth over RM18,000 to a neighbouring country.
The 67-year-old skipper of the boat allegedly carrying the cargo has been arrested, MMEA Kudat director Lt Maritime Commander Boon Chin Chau said in a statement yesterday.
According to Boon, the boat was intercepted by a MMEA patrol boat less than a nautical mile off Tanjung Berungus, Kudat at about midnight on Saturday.
“After stopping the boat, MMEA personnel boarded it, and upon checking found 71 jerrycans of petrol. The captain of the boat was believed to be attempting to smuggle the 2,130 litres of petrol out of Kudat.
“Not only was the boat not registered, the captain was also found not in possession of any identification documents,” Boon said.
The skipper, his boat with its 40 hp outboard engine and cargo were later taken to the Kudat public jetty and handed over to MMEA Kudat investigation unit for further action, he said.
The case, Boon disclosed, will be investigated under Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Control of Supply Act 1961 and the Ports and Harbour Enactment 2002.