Down Syndrome boy among 22 detained in operation

SANDAKAN: Sandakan Zone Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle out 22 individuals from Sandakan to the Philippines on Monday night.

Its deputy operation director Maritime Commander Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid said a MMEA patrol boat detected a fishing boat moving in a suspicious manner some 0.1 nautical mile from the west of Pulau Berhala or about 1.2 nautical miles from the Sandakan MMEA jetty at 9:45 pm.

“On checking we found 22 individuals, including two children and one disabled person in the boat, who we believe were about to be smuggled out to the Philippines,” he told a press conference on the case here yesterday.

According to Mohd Khairulanuar, a 14-year-old boy with Down Syndrome was among 13 men and seven women, aged 14 to 65, who were detained. Also detained were a three-yearold boy and a one-year-old girl.

He added that four of the individuals had Malaysian identity cards, one was a permanent resident card holder, two had birth certificates, one had a IMM13 document, while 13 others failed to show any identification documents.

Khairulanuar said the boat skipper was believed to have fled when the MMEA patrol boat neared the fishing boat.

The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1963.

He said the fishing boat which was registered with the Sabah Fisheries Department was towed to the Sandakan MMEA jetty. Khairulanuar also expressed concern over the reluctance of boat operators and passengers to pay attention to water safety when travelling.

“Travelling on unauthorised methods of transport, not equipped with safety items such as life jackets, buoys and fire extinguishers can be very dangerous and may result in loss of lives,” he said.

He also advised the maritime community to observe the curfew order which has been enforced at night off the east coast of Sabah, including Sandakan. Bernama