KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has identified 33 hot locations for migrant smuggling in eight states nationwide, said MMEA Maritime Criminal Investigation Division deputy director Ahmad Faridi Ferdaus.
Faridi said besides migrant smuggling, the locations involved are also gateways for drug trafficking.
“Among the locations involved are Sg Kisap, Sg Kilim, and Perairan Sg Nyor Setali’s waters in Langkawi, Kedah; and Sg Kuala Perlis and Pantai Batu Putih-Sg Padang in Perlis.
“In Perak, the hotspots are Telok Muroh-Lekir and Hutang Melintang. In Selangor, they are Kuala Selangor-Kapar, Pulau Ketam, Sg Lima, Kuala Langat, and Sepang,” he said on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme last night.
He said that in Negri Sembilan, the six hotspots are Tanjung Selamat, Pantai Telok Pelandok, Pulau Bagan Pinang, Bagan Lalang, Port Dickson, and Sg Lukut, while in Melaka, they are at Kg Tengah, Pulau Konet, Tanjung Kling, Pantai (Alam), and Padang Temu-Umbai.
Faridi said hotspots in Johor included Muar, Parit Jawa, Sarang Buaya, Pantai Perpat, Kukup, and Tanjung Adang, while in Sabah, they are at the waters of Felda Sahabat, Daratan Kertam Kinabatangan, as well as the waters of Pulau Bodgaya and Tambisan-Daratan Merabung-Pulau Pompom.
“Smugglers focus on these areas as they feel more familiar and it is easier for skippers to land boats carrying migrants. They also carry other goods such as drugs and other illegal things,” he said.
In this regard, he said, MMEA with the cooperation of other enforcement agencies such as the Immigration Department and the Royal Malaysian Navy is focusing on these locations to curb such activities. – Bernama, June 16, 2021
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