AUTHORITIES STEP UP PATROLS AROUND LANGKAWI AFTER MIGRANT BOAT TRAGEDY

SINTOK, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- The police and enforcement agencies have intensified surveillance operations around Langkawi following reports that a boat carrying hundreds of migrants may have sunk near the Malaysia–Thailand maritime border.

Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said patrols have been stepped up around Teluk Ewa and nearby coastal areas, urging residents to alert authorities if they come across any survivors hiding or stranded in the area.

“So far, 10 survivors, comprising Myanmar, Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals, and the body of a Rohingya woman have been found,” he told reporters at the 38th Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Convocation here today.

Adzli said the accounts given differed, with some claiming that a main vessel carrying about 300 people sank, while others said the group had been transferred to three smaller boats, one of which capsized.

“Investigations are still ongoing. The figure of 300 passengers remains unverified. If accurate, we would likely have found more victims by now,” he said.

He added that more victims could surface within the next three to seven days, either alive or otherwise.

Police are also working with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to determine the exact location of the vessel’s sinking, while efforts are underway to identify those responsible for smuggling the migrants into Malaysia.

All survivors have been detained for not possessing valid travel documents, Adzli said, adding that investigators believe the syndicate had selected Langkawi as their intended landing point.

Preliminary questioning revealed that some of the migrants had paid about 400,000 Bangladeshi taka (approximately RM13,000) each to the syndicate for the voyage, while others said their families would make payment after they arrived in Malaysia.

“Many of them sold their homes and livestock to fund the journey, hoping to start a new life here. They were required to pay before being allowed on board,” he said.

-- BERNAMA