11 individuals, including 3 Malaysians and 8 Chinese citizens, who illegally entered Philippine waters from Semporna will be transferred to Manila on the 6th to verify their identities and documents, and to proceed with deportation and repatriation processes.
Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin said that there are still 4 Malaysians detained by the Philippine authorities in the southern Philippines.
"This is the latest news I received this morning."
After attending the "2024 Conference on Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labor" at the Sabah International Convention Centre, Saifuddin expressed this to the reporters when asked about the latest situation of the 7 detained Malaysians.
He also noted that the 4 Malaysians are still being detained in a hotel by the Philippine authorities, mainly due to issues related to the ownership of the vessel involved in the illegal entry into Philippine waters.
Freezing of Travel Company's License
He stated that the 15 people were detained by the Philippine authorities for entering the Philippines illegally by boat, and naturally, the boat owner will be held accountable for their illegal entry.
7 Malaysian citizens and 8 Chinese citizens were arrested by the Philippine law enforcement authorities on September 1st while fishing illegally in Philippine waters off Semporna.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has also frozen the business license of the involved travel company until the investigation is completed. If the travel company is found to be involved in illegal activities, stricter actions will be taken, including the permanent revocation of the company's license.
