21 Bangladeshis remanded for illegal entry
Malaysian authorities yesterday remanded 24 foreigners, including 21 Bangladeshis, for trying to enter the country illegally.
Officials at Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Saturday night detained 21 Bangladeshis, two Indonesians and an Afghan from near the country's southern Tanjung Sepat area under Selenagor province, Malaysian English Daily The Star reported yesterday.
The detainees were entering the country by a tugboat from Indonesia.
The Bangladeshis had first flown to Singapore from Dhaka and then entered Pekanbaru in Indonesia before attempting to enter Malaysia by sea, according to the daily.
“This is the first time Bangladeshi nationals, in a big group, have tried to illegally enter the country,” The Star report said, quoting Maritime Commander Romli Mustafa, operations director of the MMEA in Klang area.
“Some of them [Bangladeshis] told us that they are here on vacation, while the Afghan said he fled his country due to unrest in his hometown. The Indonesians are believed to be the skipper of the tugboat and his helper,” he said.
The Malaysian official added that none of the foreigners had proper documents.
When contacted, Sayedul Islam, counsellor (labour wing) at Bangladesh high commission in Kuala Lumpur, said they didn't have any information about the Bangladeshis.
“It is really unbelievable that the Bangladeshis tried to enter Malaysia from Indonesia. We will look into the matter,” he told The Daily Star over the phone.
It couldn't be known immediately whether the Bangladeshis went to Singapore legally or not.
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