THE Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has identified a syndicate believed to be involved in the smuggling of undocumented migrants, using platforms such as TikTok to advertise their services.
Acting Deputy Director-General of Operations, Maritime Rear Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah, said intelligence gathering indicated that a single syndicate was behind the coordinated advertisements, although operations were carried out through various cartels or sub-groups.
"The focus of this migrant smuggling syndicate is in Johor and Selangor. Johor, as we know, is closest to Karimun and Batam islands across the border (in Indonesia).
"If we look back two or three years, when we tightened security in the Strait of Melaka, they shifted their routes to the East. However, following several incidents involving capsized boats, the syndicate has reverted to using the Strait of Melaka," Bernama quoted him saying after visiting the Japanese Coast Guard patrol vessel MIZUHO.
He was commenting on several viral videos on social media that appeared to promote illegal seaborne migration services in and out of Malaysia.
While declining to reveal the number or names of syndicates involved, Mohd Zawawi stressed that surveillance and intelligence operations by MMEA continue across affected states.
He added that advertisements for such illegal entries are not new and have frequently been observed before and after festive seasons.
"MMEA will not hesitate to take more drastic measures to address this issue. We are aware of the hotspots and have identified common entry and exit points used by these migrants," he said.
Checks by authorities also revealed that some of the promotions were being disseminated on international social media platforms. The agency is working closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to curb these activities. - June 23, 2025
