Indonesia foils attempt by 68 Rohingya, Bangladeshi migrants to illegally cross into Malaysia

JAKARTA, April 28 — Indonesian authorities have discovered 68 foreign nationals, including Rohingya and Bangladeshi citizens, at a palm oil plantation in Dumai, Riau Province, believed to be preparing for a sea crossing to Malaysia.

Local residents spotted the group at around 10.40pm local time on Saturday along Jalan Parit 2 in the Tanjung Penyembal subdistrict and immidiately alerted the police and immigration authorities.

“The group consists of 26 Bangladeshi nationals and 42 Rohingya individuals, including 10 women and two children,” Dumai immigration enforcement unit head Totok Purnawan told Metro TV.

Police and immigration officials have launched a joint investigation into the incident, with authorities stating that further action will be taken as enquiries continue.

“Preliminary findings suggest that the group intended to travel to Malaysia using illegal maritime routes,” he added. — Bernama