Malaysian Authorities Detain 131 Sri Lankans Migrants at Sea

Malaysian authorities intercepted a "modified" tanker, which was believed to be headed to Australia and New Zealand, the country's National Police Chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said Sunday.

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"On May 1st, at approximately 2.02 am, Royal Malaysian Police in co-operation with Malaysian Maritime Enforcement and government legal officers have conducted 'Op Kenal Alpha 2/2018' and have successfully brought down a people smuggling operation involving Sri Lankan citizens using maritime passage in the area of Tanjung Gemuk waters, Sedili, Kota Tinggi, Johor," Harun said in a statement.

The vessel had 131 Sri Lankans including 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls on board. Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton disclosed that the government had been working closely with the Malaysian authorities to stop people smuggling operations.

"It underscores the fact that this is a significant issue for our country, for New Zealand and for other countries in the region," Dutton said during a press conference.

The Australian authorities explained that the intercepted vessel was party to a "sophisticated" people smuggling operation. Australian border protection policies deny asylum to migrants who enter the country by sea.

"The need for Operation Sovereign Borders [the policy implemented by the ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott government in 2013 to turn back asylum seeker boats at sea] is as vital today as it was when it began. Unfortunately, Labor’s support for tough border policies is ebbing away," Dutton said.

"It is incumbent on Bill Shorten and his spokesman Shayne Neumann to publicly state their support for all OSB measures - failure to do so plays into the hands of the people smugglers."

New Zealand Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said: “This sort of venture would put lives at extreme risk in the most vast and treacherous ocean in the world... Exploitation of individuals and families by people smugglers is repugnant and will not be tolerated.”

A fishing vessel which transported the migrants from land to the tanker was also seized.

Harun added that the trafficking operation spanned from Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia and had been operating since mid-2017.

The police chief said 127 of the 131 migrants will be charged with entering Malaysia illegally.

Additionally, nine Malaysian nationals along with three Indonesians and four Sri Lankans will be investigated for people smuggling.