Police in Melaka have foiled two human smuggling attempts, detaining 26 Indonesian nationals in separate pre-dawn maritime operations.
MELAKA: Police foiled two attempts to smuggle 26 Indonesian migrants in and out of Malaysia during special pre-dawn maritime operations yesterday. The dual busts were part of the 2026 Special Aidilfitri Operations.
Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the Marine Police Force Region Two detained the migrants in two separate raids codenamed Op Taring Landai and Op Taring Gelora. The group comprised 19 men and seven women aged between 19 and 50.
In the first operation, police arrested 18 Indonesians, including two women, in the coastal area of Teluk Pulau Upeh at about 2.30 am. They were believed to be attempting to leave the country illegally via sea routes.
The operation was based on intelligence from the Melaka police contingent headquarters regarding human trafficking activities. Three of the detained men are suspected of acting as ‘tekong darat’ or land agents.
These agents managed the delivery of migrants before handing them over to a third party for transport to Dumai, Indonesia. The migrants were taken to the coast to await a ‘tekong laut’ or boat skipper.
Each migrant is believed to have paid between RM1,500 and RM1,700 to the agent. Police seized 26 mobile phones, RM14,465 in cash, and 36,976,300 Indonesian rupiah, with a total seizure value of RM48,151.85.
In the second raid around 3 am, police thwarted an attempt by migrants to enter the country. A patrol boat detained a suspicious fibreglass boat about one nautical mile off Pulau Upeh.
The boat was trying to approach the shoreline. Inspection found eight Indonesian migrant workers, comprising three men and five women aged between 27 and 45.
They had entered the country without valid travel documents. Two men are believed to have acted as boat skippers.
All are believed to have dealt with the skippers via contacts, with payments ranging from RM2,000 to RM3,000. Police seized a 10.05-metre fibreglass boat, two Yamaha outboard engines, seven mobile phones, and seven jerry cans of fuel.
The total estimated value of these seizures is RM78,850. Both cases are being investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
They are also being probed under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering or leaving Malaysia without valid documents. All arrests and seizures have been brought to the Melaka Tengah district police headquarters for further action.
 The Sun Malaysia
