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SANDAKAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained 4,107 migrants and 316 smugglers under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Atipsom) this year.

MMEA Deputy Director-General of Operations Vice Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said migrant smuggling syndicates remained active in using the country’s waters due to Malaysia’s strategic location in the region.

He said statistics for 2026 showed Myanmar recorded the highest number of detained migrants at 1,932, followed by Indonesia with 1,727 and the Philippines with 180, adding that the situation proved migrant smuggling remained a serious threat requiring continuous and aggressive enforcement across national waters.

Mohd Zawawi said this during the closing ceremony of Operation Redback 22/2026, conducted jointly with the Australian Border Force (ABF) in Sandakan waters from May 18 to 22, where he also revealed that MMEA opened eight investigation papers this year involving migrant smuggling cases with the detention of 19 smugglers and 233 migrants.

He said the operation involved five main assets comprising KM Pintar, KM Tebrau, Boat Banggi 14, Boat Kilat 34 and Boat Kilat 37, while one of the operation’s successes included the seizure of 27 boxes of cooking oil at Kampung Pukat Fishermen’s Jetty on May 21, with the case investigated under Section 21 of the Supply Control Act 1961 for possession of controlled goods without authorisation.