Indonesian Illegal Workers Busted While Leaving in Ferry

Forty-eight Indonesian illegal immigrants were arrested while trying to leave the country with a ferry from Bagan Hailam near Pulau Ketam here Tuesday. They were nabbed along with nine crew members, including the captain, of the ferry, which was heading for Tanjung Balai Asahan, Indonesia at 9.30am, said Port Klang Marine Police commanding officer DSP Norzaid Muhammad Said.

He said the illegal immigrants hid in a specially built compartment under the engine room of the ferry when they were caught. They worked in factories and restaurants in Johor, Ipoh and Tanjung Malim between one and three years, he told reporters at the Klang Marine Police base here Tuesday.

He said the illegal immigrants, who were made up of 28 men and 20 women aged between 21 and 42, paid about RM1,000 each to a syndicate for the journey home. The immigrants and the captain of the ferry will be handed over to the Immigration Department while the ferry was detained pending investigations, he added.

Pulau Ketam, literally translated, means "Crab Island". It is a small island located off the coast of Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.