BOAT TARGEDY: ANOTHER BODY FOUND

JOHOR BAHARU, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- The body of another victim of the boat

tragedy that happened in Teluk Semayong waters, Sedili Besar, near Kota Tinggi

yesterday, was found today, bringing the death toll to nine so far.

Kota Tinggi police chief Supt Che Mahazan Che Aik said the body was found by

the search and rescue team near Teluk Semayong beach around 2.20pm and was sent

to the Kota Tinggi Hospital for post-mortem.

Che Mahazan also said police detained six foreigners who confessed to be

from Afghanistan at the Kuala Sedili beach last night and that all of them,

aged from 20 to 35 years, were found roaming at the area without any

identification documents at 10pm.

"We do not know the total number of the foreigners who boarded the boat

involved in the tragedy. So we still continue with investigations and also the

search and rescue operation," he said.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu

Bakar said police now were tracking down three crew from the boat who were

believed to have saved themselves after the boat capsized.

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POLICE-CAPSIZE 2 (LAST) JOHOR BAHARU

"We are now looking for them after we managed to detain 12 individuals

believed to be members of a people-smuggling syndicate around Johor yesterday,"

he said.

Yesterday, eight people drowned, 12 others were rescued while six more are

still missing, all of whom are foreigners, after their boat capsized seven

nautical miles in Teluk Semayong waters off Sedili Besar island.

The incident happened around 6.30 am when the boat was believed to be

illegally ferrying men from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to a neigbouring

country.

-- BERNAMA

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