00:00 Sabah Maritime Authorities have seized a local fishing boat suspected of smuggling 12 people
00:07 into the state through the northern waters of Tuaran.
00:11 Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Director for Sabah and Labuan First Admiral
00:17 Datuk Ceangku Suhaimi Ceangku Dyck said the boat was intercepted as it was heading into
00:22 Tanjung Luk Pisuk waters in Tuaran at about 5.45pm on Saturday.
00:28 He said the skipper and 12 passengers, aged between 14 and 70, were detained and the boat
00:33 was seized to facilitate investigations under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling
00:39 of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSAM), the Immigration Act 1959 (KASIKSI 3) and the Sabah Ports and
00:47 Docks Enactment 2002.
00:50 He said the vessel's license did not contain the boat owner's name and all 12 passengers
00:55 did not produce the proper documents.
00:57 Ceangku Suhaimi added that one passenger had a Malaysian identity card, another had a social
01:03 visit pass, four of them presented birth certificates and the rest of them had no documents at all.
01:09 Among the passengers was a 52-year-old blind man, a family consisting of a father, his
01:15 son and two daughters, the children ranging in age from 14 to 23, and four women between
01:21 the ages of 55 and 60.
01:24 Ceangku Suhaimi said the fishing boat was first detected entering Sabah waters on radar
01:29 under the Sabah Sea Surveillance System, after which vessels operating in the vicinity were
01:34 ordered to intercept it.
01:36 He said MMA would not hesitate to act against those trying to sneak into the state.
01:41 For more information visit www.fema.gov.au/covid19
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