ALOR SETAR: Police have confirmed having arrested 196 ethnic Rohingya who landed at Teluk Yu Beach in Langkawi early today.
Langkawi police chief ACP Shariman Ashari said the authorities received information from a member of the public at around 3.25 am, saying that a group of foreigners had landed at the beach.
“A patrol car that arrived at the location confirmed the presence of a large group of foreigners there, along with a boat stranded on the shore,“ he said.
Following this, 31 police personnel were deployed to the site to arrest all the foreigners, comprising 68 men, 57 women, 39 girls and 32 boys.
He added that the foreigners were believed to have departed from Myanmar by boat about 10 days ago.
“All of them have been referred to the Langkawi Immigration Department (JIM) and taken to the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) Complex in Langkawi for documentation. Health screenings have also been carried out by the Langkawi health office.
“The Marine Police team has also been deployed to tighten control at Teluk Yu and investigate the possibility of any remaining boats that may have illegally entered the waters,“ he said.
Shariman also expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the public for promptly providing information regarding the entry of foreigners and hoped for continued cooperation in the future.
