JOHOR BARU - IT costs a mere RM300 (S$124) for Indonesian illegals, hoping to have a better life here, to sneak in and out of Malaysia undetected in boats.

Marine Police Squad 2 chief Asst Comm Mohd Khamsani Abdul Rahman said most of the time, the foreigners would have valid passports or work permits when they enter Malaysia.

'The problem starts when they overstay or start job-hopping, which contravenes the conditions in their work permits,' he told The Star here on Monday..

Mohd Khamsani said Tanjung Piai and Penggerang were favourite 'hot spots' for such activities as they were the closest points to Tanjung Balai and Batam in Indonesia.

'We are tracking some syndicates which are involved in bringing the Indonesians to this country. They usually operate under the cover of darkness between 5am and 6am,' he said.

He said police got information on such activities following the detention of 22 illegals who survived when two boats capsized off Tanjung Piai on Thursday.No passport or document were recovered from the Indonesian survivors.

'All of them will be deported once the investigations are over,' he said.

He also said that five more bodies from the two capsized boats have been recovered off Tanjung Piai and Tanjung Labuh.One was recovered on Saturday, another on Sunday, both in Tanjung Labuh in Batu Pahat, while three others were found near Tanjung Piai at 11am on Monday.

In the incident, 32 people, believed to be illegal immigrants, were thrown into the sea when the two boats capsized. Twenty-two of them were picked up by passing merchant vessels while a body was also recovered. -- THE STAR