Bodies of six immigrants wash ashore near Kota Tinggi

JOHOR BARU: The bodies of two men and four women, believed to be illegal immigrants from Indonesia, were found washed up on Pantai Teluk C, Bandar Penawar near Kota Tinggi, yesterday.

Passers-by stumbled on the bodies at 9.40am and alerted the police.

Kota Tinggi police chief Superintendent Hussin Zamora said it is believed that the victims, aged between 31 and 46, tried to enter Malaysia illegally by sea.

“The victims are believed to have been swept away by strong currents while getting off their boat near here, before drowning.

“The police, together with the Malaysian Armed Forces, successfully arrested six Indonesian men, believed to be part of the same group, about 1km away from the scene,” he said in a statement.

However, it is uncertain how many people were in the boat.

Hussin said the bodies were sent to the Sultan Ismail Hospital here, and that the police have classified the case as sudden death.

He added that the six survivors were handed over to the Immigration Department for further action. – BERNAMA