MMEA foils attempt to smuggle 119 Rohingya migrants, four local men held

ALOR SETAR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) thwarted an attempt by four local men to smuggle in 119 Rohingya ethnics into the country by hiding the migrants in the fish compartments of a boat in Sungai Kedah last Tuesday.

Kedah police chief CP Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said a MMEA team on patrol in the area intercepted the boat at about 9.20 pm and following inspection, found the migrants in the fish compartment.

There were 119 Rohingyans, comprising 47 men, 32 women, 23 girls and 17 boys, aged between five and 38, hiding in the compartment which is on the low deck of the boat, he said in a statement today.

He said four local men, aged between 32 and 39 who included two civil servants, were also arrested for investigation under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2017.

-- BERNAMA