LANGKAWI: A boat with 202 Rohingya was detained near a beach resort at Jalan Pantai Kok in Teluk Nibung here, on Sunday.
Kedah and Perlis Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy operations director Maritime Captain Zulinda Ramly said the boat was detained 1.2 nautical miles southwest at about 8.45am.
“The boat was found to have 202 people, comprising 152 men, 45 women, four boys and a girl. They have all been detained and taken to the Kedah and Perlis MMEA lock-up in Bukit Malut.
“They will be handed over to the Immigration Department for entering the country illegally,” she said in a statement.
Zulinda said all MMEA personnel involved in the case took stringent measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among the illegal immigrants.
“The Kedah and Perlis MMEA are investigating reports by the immigrants that the boat skipper and his three crewmen escaped while at sea,” she said, adding that the four are suspected to be members of a syndicate smuggling in immigrants. – Bernama