MMEA shooting: Cops looking for two Indonesian men who sent injured migrants to hospital

SHAH ALAM, Jan 31 — The Selangor police are looking for two Indonesian men believed to have sent three undocumented migrants to Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang who were injured in a shooting in the waters of Tanjung Rhu, Banting on January 24.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said they were also looking for several other individuals believed to be in the boat during the shooting.

“We believe besides the five — one (suspect) who died and four others (injured) in hospital — there are others in the boat due to its size and based on conversations with witnesses.

“We believe that they were just leaving Malaysian waters to go over (to Indonesia) illegally,” he said at a media conference at the Selangor contingent police headquarters here today, adding that all suspects are believed to be involved in human trafficking and did not possess any valid travel documents.

The police have nearly completed their investigation and recorded the statements of 14 Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) personnel, along with two of the four injured suspects, he said, adding that they would refer the case to the deputy public prosecutor soon.

When asked about the MMEA opening fire during the incident, Hussein also said that the MMEA had their own standard operating procedure for opening fire if their personnel were threatened.

A Selangor MMEA boat on patrol in the waters of Tanjung Rhu at about 3am, January 23 was rammed by the boat believed to be owned by the suspects (who were subsequently injured in the shooting). — Bernama