The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained 4,107 illegal immigrants and 316 smugglers nationwide within the first four months of this year.
MMEA deputy director-general of Operations Vice Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said migrant smuggling syndicates remain active and continue to exploit Malaysia’s strategic maritime location in the region.
“Statistics from January to April show that the highest number of illegal immigrants detained were from Myanmar (1,932), Indonesia (1,727), and the Philippines (180), indicating that the threat remains serious.
“This situation requires continuous and aggressive enforcement across national waters,” he told reporters after the closing ceremony of Operation Redback 22/2026 (Op Redback).
He said the agency had opened eight investigation papers involving migrant smuggling cases, which included 19 smugglers and 233 illegal immigrants.
“Of those arrested, most smugglers were from Indonesia (13), followed by Myanmar (three), Thailand (two), and one local individual,” he added.
Mohd Zawawi said Op Redback was carried out in collaboration with the Australian Border Force (ABF) starting May 18 in Sandakan waters, reflecting ongoing maritime cooperation between Malaysia and Australia since 2014.
The joint operation focuses on tackling cross-border crimes, including human smuggling, contraband trafficking, search and rescue operations at sea, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
He added that the 4,107 arrests highlight the effectiveness of strategic enforcement cooperation, including with ABF, and stressed the need for continued strong and integrated operations.
Mohd Zawawi also said there would be no compromise on any criminal activities at sea in order to protect the country’s maritime sovereignty.
