KOTA KINABALU: A boat skipper who jumped into the sea off Tawau to avoid arrest had his escape bid thwarted when maritime enforcement officials dived in and caught him.
The 32-year-old suspect, who turned out to be an undocumented Indonesian immigrant, was nabbed along with 12 others on the boat in an operation on Tuesday (Oct 3) morning.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tawau director Capt Shahrizan Raman said a team on patrol noticed the boat not far from the Tawau Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) jetty.
“We detected the passenger boat at around 10.30am and when our men approached, it sped away,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 4).
He said the boat was heading into Tawau waters from Pulau Sebatik.
Shahrizan said when MMEA officers instructed the skipper to stop for an inspection, he dived into the sea.
“However, we managed to quickly catch the skipper and detained 12 men on board the vessel,” he added.
All those detained, aged 18 to 61, were undocumented, he said.
The suspects were brought back to the Tawau Marine Jetty for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63, said Shahrizan.
He said the boat and other items valued at around RM30,000 were confiscated.
Shahrizan said MMEA would continue its patrols to prevent crime at sea, especially in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone), and urged the public to call in at 089-752116 or the 999 emergency number if they see or suspect any wrongdoings.
The Esszone comprises Sandakan, Beluran, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.
