SANDAKAN, May 22 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained 4,107 illegal immigrants and 316 smugglers nationwide in the first four months of this year.
MMEA deputy director-general of Operations Vice Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said migrant smuggling syndicates remain active and exploit the country’s waters due to Malaysia’s strategic position in the region.
“Statistics from January to April show that the highest number of detained illegal immigrants came from three countries, namely Myanmar (1,932), Indonesia (1,727), and the Philippines (180), which proves that the threat remains serious.
“This situation requires aggressive and continuous enforcement action by authorities across national waters,” he told reporters after the closing ceremony of Operation Redback 22/2026 (Op Redback) here today.
Mohd Zawawi said MMEA has opened eight investigation papers related to migrant smuggling cases involving 19 smugglers and 233 illegal immigrants.
“Of the total, the majority of detained smugglers were from Indonesia (13), followed by Myanmar (three), Thailand (two), and one local,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said Op Redback has been conducted in collaboration with the Australian Border Force (ABF) since May 18 in Sandakan waters, and the operation reflects ongoing maritime enforcement cooperation between Malaysia and Australia since 2014.
“The operation carried out by MMEA and ABF focuses on combating cross-border crimes, including migrant smuggling, smuggling of controlled goods, search and rescue efforts at sea, as well as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing,” he said.
Mohd Zawawi said the 4,107 arrests made this year clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of strategic cooperation, including with the ABF, and that enforcement efforts must continue in a more aggressive and integrated manner.
He added that there will be no compromise on any criminal activities at sea to safeguard the sovereignty of the nation’s waters. — Bernama
Date: 22 May, 2026 4:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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