11 Skippers, Two Migrant Transporters, 79 Migrants Detained In JB And Kota Tinggi

JOHOR BAHRU (Johor, Malaysia) July 24 (Bernama) -- Johor police recently detained 92 people, including 11 skippers, two migrant transporters, and 79 migrants in the city and Kota Tinggi, between Saturday and Wednesday. Johor Police Chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said all 92 people, including a 21-month-old migrant girl were detained in Kota Tinggi, Seri Alam and Iskandar Puteri. The operations were the result of efforts by the Johor Contingent Police Headquarters Crime Investigation Department, with the help of the Region Two Marine Police Force (PPM), the Seri Alam, Kota TInggi and Iskandar Puteri police. “On Saturday, the Region Two PPM detained four skippers and 15 migrants in Sungai Rengit, Kota Tinggi who were attempt to go to Indonesia. Following investigations, police detained two more skippers and a migrant in the waters off these areas. “All the six skippers and 16 migrants were Indonesian men aged between 21 and 45 years old, who used the Sungai Rengit as a transit point before leaving for Indonesia,” he told reporters here Thursday. Ayob Khan added that on Monday, 21 Bangladeshis and a bus driver believed to be migrant transporter, were also detained on a bus in Tanjung Kupang, Iskandar Puteri, whiled eight Indonesian migrants were detained the next day in a raid on Kampung Tanjung Adang and Taman Desa Paya Mengkuang, Iskandar Puteri. He said police also seized three boats, five 40-horsepower engines, 28 handphones, a car, a bus and foreign currency amounting to RM8,048.90. All will be investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007, and as well as Section 5(2), Section 6(1)(C) and Section 55E(2) of the Immigrants Act. -- BERNAMA