JAKARTA (Bernama): The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) says it has intercepted a speedboat carrying 19 undocumented migrant workers and two suspected human smugglers off the coast of Riau province.

The boat, equipped with three outboard engines, was stopped in the Morong Strait near Rupat Island on May 8, as it attempted to cross illegally into Malaysian waters.

According to the Navy’s Public Information Office (Dispenal), the boat ignored warning shots, prompting personnel to fire at the engines to disable the boat.

"All 19 people on board were Indonesian nationals from various regions, including Riau, Aceh, Lampung, East Java and North Sumatra,” it said in a statement on Saturday.

Dispenal noted that many of the migrants had expired passports or were blacklisted from international travel, and were attempting to migrate without proper documentation.

The group had allegedly departed from a holding site in Teluk Lecah village, operated by an individual identified as ‘JP’.

Two crew members, identified only by the initials ‘K’ and ‘J’, told investigators they were paid 3.5 million rupiah (approximately US$220) per person to transport the migrants to Malaysia.

"The suspects will be handed over to the Riau police for further investigation into human trafficking offences. The migrants will be processed by the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Service Post (P4MI) in Dumai,” Dispenal added.

The operation is part of broader efforts by the Indonesian Navy to tighten maritime security, prevent cross-border trafficking, and increase vigilance against criminal activity in national waters. - Bernama