Johor Customs Dept on alert for influx of undocumented migrants leaving country for Hari Raya
ISKANDAR PUTERI, March 20 — The Johor Customs Department will increase its surveillance on the state’s waterways following the expected surge in undocumented Indonesian migrants leaving the country in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.
Its director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the department is prepared for an increase in the number of undocumented migrants illegally leaving the country via sea.
He said closer to the holiday period, the marine unit of the Customs Enforcement Division expects many of these undocumented migrants to attempt to return to their country of origin.
“Last Friday, the department managed to foil the illegal journey of 12 undocumented Indonesians, aged between 25 and 50, who were on their way to Batam Island in Indonesia.
“The department’s Customs Enforcement Division’s marine unit had earlier detected a fibre boat traveling suspiciously while patrolling the sea off Tanjung Pelepas at 2am,” he said at a press conference held at the Johor Customs Department at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Gelang Patah here today.
Following the inspection, Aminul Izmeer said 10 passengers and two skippers had no valid travel documents or expired travel documents.
He said initial investigations also revealed that the syndicate that provided the illegal service in conjunction with the coming Hari Raya Aidilfitri period charged RM3,000 per person.
In Johor, many undocumented Indonesians will brave the unpredictable illegal sea route to return to their respective hometowns in Indonesia during the weeks leading to Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Johor’s coastal area is known to have vast, porous borders with unfettered access to the sea and has been used as illegal entry and exit points by foreigners.
