Cops bust human trafficking syndicate
We detained the nine Malaysians, three Indonesians and four Sri Lankans under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act and AntiTrafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling gg of Migrants Act. Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun
KUALA LUMPUR: The Sri Lankans huddled together for hours, all 127 of them, inside a modified tanker ship.
They were merely trying to seek a new beginning in another country. Among them were 24 women and nine children.
They were found hiding inside the vessel which had been modified to accommodate the “cargo”.
Another four Sri Lankans, believed to be members of a human trafficking syndicate, were also with them.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said police, together with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Attorney-General’s Chambers, discovered the human trafficking syn- dicate during a joint operation on Labour Day.
“We discovered the syndicate at 2.02am as the ship was passing through the waters off the Tanjung Gemuk area in Sedili, Kota Tinggi, Johor.
“The ship had the word ‘ETRA’ on it and was headed towards international waters when it was intercepted,” he said in a statement yesterday.
A fishing boat, believed to be used to ferry the migrants from the ship to the coast, was also seized.
“A check on the ship revealed 131 Sri Lankans on board,” Mohamad Fuzi said.
As for the fishing boat, three Indonesian and four Malaysian men were found on board.
In follow-up operations in Johor Baru and Bukit Mertajam, five other Malaysians were also arrested.
He said the man arrested in Bukit Mertajam was believed to be managing the syndicate.
“We detained the nineMalaysians, three Indonesians and four Sri Lankans under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act and AntiTrafficking in Persons and AntiSmuggling of Migrants Act.
“The remaining 127 Sri Lankans have been detained under the Immigration Act for entering or exiting Malaysia through illegal means,” he said, adding that the syndicate was believed to have been in operation since last year with an international network covering Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia.