LANGKAWI, Nov 10 (Bernama) — A total of 1,333 illegal immigrants, including Myanmar’s Rohingya ethnic group, attempting to enter the country via the waters of Langkawi and Kedah have been intercepted since 2020.
According to data released by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), all the arrests involved nine cases, in which 24 skippers and crew members were also detained during the same period.
Most of the migrants and the boat operators or crew were apprehended in the waters near Langkawi and Kuala Kedah while attempting to land in the country.
The data also showed that this year alone, two cases involved 436 migrants arrested at Pantai Teluk Yu and the waters of Pulau Rebak Besar, Langkawi.
Kedah and Perlis MMEA director First Admiral Romli Mustafa said Langkawi’s location, only 2.5 nautical miles from the Thai border, made it a preferred landing point.
“So, to reach Malaysia, they first arrive at Langkawi, as it is the closest point. They are not coming to Langkawi to remain here but will be taken to other parts of the country,” he told reporters here today.
He said most of the migrants attempting to enter the country via sea routes were willing to face dangerous journeys in search of a better life.
“This is likely due to the hardships they face in their home countries, which compel them to flee and attempt to enter Malaysia, even if it means risking the sea without safety protection and paying syndicates,” he said.
Romli also stated that maritime migrant entry attempts largely depended on weather conditions.
“Therefore, most cases occur at the end and beginning of the year. Due to this trend, we have deployed Op Guard since 2022. Whenever we receive information on migrant entries, we launch the operation immediately.
“This year, we launched Op Guard 5.0. During this operation, migrant entry cases occurred, and we were prepared and able to act swiftly,” he said.
— BERNAMA
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