23 Illegal Immigrants Detained After Boat Capsizes Off Pulau Pangkor

LUMUT, May 12 (Bernama) -- Twenty-three Indonesian illegal immigrants were detained by authorities after the boat they were travelling in capsized in the waters off Pulau Pangkor near here yesterday, Manjung police chief ACP Hasbullah Abd Rahman said. 

He said police received a report on the incident from the Kampung Acheh Marine Police Force at about 2.35 pm and those detained comprised 16 men and seven women.

“All those arrested have been taken to the Manjung district police headquarters and the case is being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said in a statement today. 

He urged members of the public with information on the incident to contact the Manjung district police headquarters operations room at 05-688 6222 or their WhatsApp hotline at 017-682 8005. 

Meanwhile, the search and rescue (SAR) operation recovered four bodies on the second day of the operation today, bringing the total number of victims found so far to 27.

Perak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director Maritime Captain Mohamad Shukri Khotob said the four bodies were discovered by the Marine Police Force at about 2 pm. 

He said the 23 individuals rescued on the first day of the operation yesterday were later detained by the authorities. 

Preliminary investigations found that a total of 37 illegal immigrants were believed to have been on board the boat, which departed from Kisaran, Indonesia on May 9 bound for Malaysia. 

The group was believed to have been heading to several destinations, including Penang, Terengganu, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA