Smuggling ring busted

MORE than 130 Sri Lankans believed to be heading for Australia and New Zealand have been intercepted by Malaysian police, smashing a large human smuggling ring that has been operating for over a year.

Authorities halted the modified tanker on Tuesday off the coast of southern Johor state, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement Saturday.

He said the immigrants included 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls.

Police also raided a fishing boat used to transport the migrants to the vessel.