SANDAKAN: Five people were detained by marine police here on Thursday night over illegal entry and assisting in illegal entry while they were en route to Kota Kinabalu via a speedboat .
A marine police patrol boat intercepted a vessel manned by a 20-year-old boatman from Kampung Sim Sim here who was ferrying a woman and three girls aged 14 to 38 years old.
They approached from the open sea towards the river at Mile 3 at 8.30pm, said state marine police commander Assistant Commissioner Mohd Yazib Abd Aziz.
He said the boatman had a sling bag containing RM360 and 12,500 pesos, believed to be fares collected from his passengers.
“They were escorted to the marine police base for further action.
“The value of the seized wooden boat is RM 5,000, while the 40 horsepower outboard engine is worth RM 11,000.”
The boatman was detained for investigation under Section 55A (1) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 for ferrying persons contrary to the act, while the women and girls were being probed under Section 5(2) of the same act for entering Malaysia through unauthorised routes.
