Police detain 60 skippers during MCO period

Police have detained 60 skippers since the Movement Control Order (MCO) started on March 18 until yesterday for smuggling illegal immigrants into the state.

Johor Police Chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said during this period, 90 illegal immigrants were also detained.

"The skippers were between the age of 23 and 57 while the illegal immigrants were between one and 60 years of age," he told reporters here today.

Ayob Khan also urged the public with any information on smuggling activities of illegal immigrants into the country to contact the police.

He said police expect more illegal immigrants to be leaving the country for the coming Aidilfitri celebrations but what was more worrying was the influx of immigrants coming in after that.

"Our objective of detaining the illegal immigrants is to obtain information about the movement of the skippers. We need them to be witnesses in court," he said.

Ayob Khan said the Op Pintas Bersepadu Selatan conducted by the police with the Malaysian Armed Forces, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Royal Customs Department and the Johor Immigration Department from May 2 to May 7 has detained 12 skippers in various raids conducted along coastal areas and at roadblocks in the state

He said the skippers were six Indonesian men, four local men and two local women aged between 22 and 53 years, while the 18 illegal immigrants who were detained comprised 12 Indonesian men, four Indonesian women and 2 Bangladesh men aged between 22 and 48 years.

"Through the operations, police also seized several cars and a boat, cash amounting to RM2,531, as well as 4.4 million rupiah, eight bags of clothes and 15 handphones," he said.

All the skippers and illegal immigrants are being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM) and the Immigration Act 1959/63.

-- BERNAMA