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ersonnel from the Indonesian Navy’s Western Fleet Quick Response (WFQR) team have arrested a boat carrying13 Indonesians believed to be migrant workers, who were attempting to flee from Malaysia.

Lanal Dumai commander Col. Yose Aldino said the boat was intercepted as it was sailing through an estuary of the Kembung River in Bengkalis regency, Riau.

He said the team had not expected to find the Indonesian illegal migrants, because its mission was to apprehend smugglers, who usually attempted to avoid security raids by sailing at night.

“Our intelligence officers had received information on illegal activities — the smuggling of used goods. These vessels usually transport charcoal from Bengkalis to Malaysia, then return carrying used goods,” Yose said on Friday.

Onboard the boat, the KM Taufik Jaya GT 3, were its captain Hendra Kusuma and a crew member identified as Jamil, as well as 70 sacks of used clothes, four used bed mattresses, 50 used tires and 30 sacks of salt.

“It turned out that the boat, which was not designed to carry passengers, was also transporting 13 Indonesian illegal migrants, two of whom were female, who traveled from Batu Pahat, Malaysia.”