MMEA rescues 18 illegal immigrants after boat capsizes

SHAH ALAM: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) rescued 18 illegal immigrants after the boat they were on capsized in the waters off Kuala Selangor on Thursday.

MMEA Director-General Maritime Admiral Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin said in the incident on the morning of March 28, 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 through the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) in Johor Bahru, received a report at 9.55 am from one of the victims’ family members via the MERS 999 hotline regarding the incident.

“Based on the information received, the victims, consisting of 11 men and seven women from a neighbouring countriy, survived the incident and were at the lighhouse that was in the vicinity,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

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.

He said the victims were believed to have attempted to enter the country illegally before the boat they were on capsized, and all of them surivived after successfully swimming to the lighthouse.

He added that preliminary investigations found 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 AntiTrafficking in Persons and AntiSmuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007.