GEORGE TOWN, Feb 15 — Marine Police Region One have identified more than 50 rat routes along the waters of Selangor to Perak used by syndicates to smuggle foreigners into the country from Indonesia.
Marine Police Region One commander ACP Shamsol Kassim said the rat routes, which took only four to five hours to reach by boat from the neighbouring country, were far from any of its base.
“The rat routes chosen by the syndicates are from the waters of Klang and Sabak Bernam, Selangor to Hutan Melintang, Perak with landing time between 9pm and 3am.
“From January to yesterday, a local and 12 Indonesians who were smugglers or syndicate members were arrested while 188 Indonesians including 42 women were also arrested for trying to enter the country illegally. All of them aged between 21 and 45,” he told a press conference here today.
He added that they also seized four boats worth RM900,000 which were used by the syndicates.
Shamsol said each foreigner paid between RM1,500 and RM2,000 to the syndicates and they were promised jobs as maid and in the plantation sector.
Meanwhile, he said Marine Police Region One also seized contraband cigarettes and liquor worth RM3.036 million from January until yesterday.
“We also arrested 12 men including three foreigners and seized two boats, two cars, a motorcycle and a lorry, all worth RM326,000,” he said. — Bernama