A migrant smuggling syndicate’s new tactic of using fishing boats to transport undocumented migrants to the middle of the sea before transferring them to another vessel bound for Indonesia has been uncovered by police.
The operation was foiled during a joint enforcement exercise carried out by the D7 Division of the Selangor Criminal Investigation Department and the Marine Police Force (PPM) in the waters off Sekinchan on Wednesday night.
Using an unmarked Marine Police boat, the raiding team intercepted a Class B fishing vessel carrying four foreign nationals.
The boat was operated by an Indonesian man who initially claimed he was working for a local boat owner and denied any involvement in migrant smuggling activities.
However, after nearly 30 minutes of questioning, the suspect admitted that he had been paid by one of the Indonesian passengers and instructed to meet another fishing boat in international waters to transfer the migrant before returning to Indonesia.
Police were unable to intercept the second vessel as it was believed to have crossed into Indonesian waters by the time the confession was obtained.
Investigations also revealed several indicators that the vessel was not being used for genuine fishing activities, including the absence of ice storage for catches and the lack of any fish odour on board.
Shortly after the operation, a local man arrived at the jetty on a motorcycle and identified himself as the owner of the intercepted fishing boat.
He is believed to own six other fishing vessels, while the Indonesian skipper arrested during the operation was one of his employees.
Initial investigations found that all those detained did not possess valid travel documents.
The suspects were taken to the Sabak Bernam District Police Headquarters for further investigation.
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar later confirmed the incident, adding that investigations into the case are ongoing.
