JOHOR BAHRU – For as little as RM1,000 (S$301), immigrants wanting to enter Johor illegally can come across the sea from Indonesia on rickety boats.

The money is paid to middlemen who make the arrangements to bring the illegals into the country, said Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat.

However, he said that the middlemen could hike the prices up to RM4,000 to take advantage of desperate illegals.

The price set also depended on the type of boats used, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s (MMEA) Johor director, First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria.

“For RM1,000, they use small boats that are more dangerous. Bigger boats are costlier. Based on information we have received from investigations and arrests, the price could go up to more than RM3,000,” he said.

Asked if there has been an increase in the fees, he said that they have remained constant over the years.

“The price has remained the same for years. However, during the festive season, some middlemen may increase their fees due to the high demand,” he said.

He added that the MMEA has launched a special operation that is being carried out between April 1 and 30 to nab those entering or leaving the country illegally.

“Since January this year, we have arrested a total of 22 illegal immigrants at four separate locations,” he said.

Datuk Kamarul said that it is very dangerous to make the illegal sea crossings in the rickety boats.

“There had been several devastating tragedies where boats ferrying illegal immigrants capsized, especially around the Kota Tinggi area. We urge immigrants to enter our border legally for their own safety. Getting on such boats could be deadly,” he told The Star.

In December 2021, a boat carrying 50 illegal immigrants from Indonesia capsized near Tanjung Balau, Kota Tinggi. A total of 21 people were killed, 16 were reported missing and only 13 survivors were found.

He added that the authorities, including the police, the Malaysian Armed Forces and the MMEA, were closely monitoring the “lorong tikus” (rat lanes) throughout the state, especially around the south-west coast.

“A majority of these lanes are around the Kota Tinggi and Pengerang areas. There will always be attempts to enter the country illegally, but we have sufficient security forces to stop human trafficking activities,” he said.

He added that attempts to enter or leave the country are also common during the Hari Raya period.

“We urge the public to be our eyes and ears and inform the authorities of such smuggling cases,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK