14 undocumented immigrants caught in attempt to sneak out of country, nine kg drug seized

SHAH ALAM - Eight packages, believed to contain syabu weighing about nine kilogrammes (kg) were found by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) during an arrest of 14 illegal immigrants who attempted to sneak out of the country yesterday.

Selangor MMEA Operations Deputy Director Mohd Sharenliza Ghazali said the arrest was made at about 0.91 nautical miles southwest of Pantai Kelanang, Banting.

He said an MMEA team was sent to the scene after being informed about the presence of the suspicious boat in the Tanjung Tongkah waters.

Realising the presence of the authorities, the boat attempted to escape with a few of those onboard seen jumping into the sea and fleeing into the mangrove forest of Pantai Kelanang before the MMEA team managed to intercept it after almost a 20-minute chase, he said in a statement today.

He said the boat had no registration number and there were 14 foreigners onboard, comprising 11 Indonesians, including nine women, and three Pakistani men. All of them, who are between 27 and 50 years old, had no valid travel documents.

The boat and the foreigners, as well as the drug packages, in two bags, were taken to the Pulau Indah Marine Police Jetty for further investigation, he added.

Sharenliza said the foreigners were believed to have charged about RM1,700 each for the boat ride which was supposed to take them to Medan and Dumai, in Indonesia. - BERNAMA