KL steps up patrols to fight human-smuggling<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has intensified patrols along the
\nMalacca Strait and is working closely with Indonesia and
\nAustralia to fight people-smuggling, a senior official said on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Muhamad Muda, marine police commander said while Malaysia was
\nconcerned about illegals entering the country, patrols have been
\nstepped up to prevent foreigners from using Malaysia as a
\nstepping stone to entering other countries illegally.<\/p>\n
Muda's remark come amid the week-long saga of the Norwegian-
\nflagged freighter, the Tampa, which picked up 420 Afghans, 13 Sri
\nLankans and five Indonesians last Sunday when the Indonesian boat
\ncarrying them to Australia started to leak.<\/p>\n
Australia announced on Saturday that the refugees would be
\nsent to New Zealand and Nauru where their claims for asylum would
\nbe processed.<\/p>\n
While it is not clear if any of them onboard the ship reached
\nIndonesia via Malaysia, Muda said Malaysia would cooperate to
\nidentify their original point of entry if requested.<\/p>\n
Muda said early this year, marine police arrested a group of
\npeople from Afghanistan and Iraq who tried to sneak out of
\nMalaysia into Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Those arrested had entered Malaysia legally, he said, adding
\nthey were handed to the immigration authorities for further
\naction.<\/p>\n
"The marine police has been alerted. We have received
\nintelligence that some foreigners are trying to sneak out from
\nMalaysia's long west coast into Indonesia," the marine police
\nchief told AFP.<\/p>\n
Officials claim Indonesia has in recent years become a transit
\npoint for refugees hoping to enter Australia -- especially those
\nfrom Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
They enter neighboring Malaysia visa-free and transit the
\nMalacca Strait to Indonesia by small boat, they allege.<\/p>\n
Muda said enforcement authorities however faced difficulties
\nto stop human-smuggling since it involved syndicates, based in
\nMalaysia and other countries, who are familiar with the waters
\nenough to ferry them across the long but narrow Malacca Strait.<\/p>\n
"We are on the look out for human-smuggling. We check them but
\nwe cannot stop them from going to Indonesia if they have proper
\ntravel documents. We do not know their real intentions," he said.<\/p>\n
Muda said Malaysia would continue to work closely with
\nIndonesian and Australian authorities to fight people-smuggling.<\/p>\n
"In the past, Australia and Malaysian police have exchanged
\nintelligence on illegal immigrants. We will continue to have
\nhealthy and active cooperation," he said.<\/p>\n
Muda said the police do not want foreigners to turn Malaysia
\ninto a base for people-smuggling even though the number of
\nreported incidents was not major.<\/p>\n
"Human-smuggling out of Malaysia is not a serious problem. The
\nnumber is small compared to those entering Malaysia illegally. We
\nhave stepped up patrols to curb both activities," he said.<\/p>\n
There are about 600,000 illegal immigrants in Malaysia, mainly
\nfrom neighboring countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.
\nIllegal immigrants have not only contributed to a growth in crime
\nand other social problems in Malaysia but also to the spread of
\ndiseases and squatter colonies, claims the government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-steps-up-patrols-to-fight-human-smuggling-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}