SABAK BERNAM, June 12 — In a desperate attempt to evade arrest during a raid at the Bagan Nakhoda Omar fishing village here this morning, six foreign fishermen plunged into a river, with some remaining submerged for nearly an hour.
They were among 79 foreign nationals detained in a joint operation involving the police, the Immigration Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Selangor Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN).
Selangor deputy police chief DCP Mohd Zaini Abu Hassan said the operation, which began yesterday afternoon, also involved enforcement action in the Kuala Selangor district, where 125 individuals were inspected.
He said the operation in the waters and coastal areas of Bagan Nakhoda Omar was launched after the location was identified as a hotspot for migrant smuggling activities and various cross-border crimes.
The offences detected included employing and harbouring undocumented foreign nationals, failure to produce valid travel documents, overstaying, misuse of visit passes and illegal entry into the country.
"All those detained are aged between 18 and 60, comprising 69 men and 10 women.
"Police also detained seven local men suspected of acting as smugglers and 28 foreign nationals found to have entered the country through illegal routes in the waters off Sabak Bernam," he told a press conference here today.
Mohd Zaini said the operation, involving eight state-level security and enforcement agencies, also aimed to identify the modus operandi used by illegal immigrants and those believed to be behind the smuggling of foreign nationals into Selangor's waters.
"During the operation at the village, two cases under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 involving diesel were also uncovered by Selangor KPDN," he said.
He added that the joint operation would continue in phases and on an ongoing basis as a preventive and enforcement measure to safeguard the country's waters and protect national sovereignty.
Mohd Zaini warned the public and employers against harbouring undocumented migrants or engaging in cross-border criminal activities.
"Authorities also welcome members of the public to provide information to the relevant agencies for further action, as national security is a shared responsibility," he said.
