People smuggling operation smashed, but Peter Dutton says threat to Australia exists

A BOAT bound for Australia and New Zealand has been intercepted. While a major people smuggling operation has been hit, Peter Dutton said there was still a threat to Australia’s borders.

A BOAT with 131 Sri Lankans bound for Australia and New Zealand has been intercepted by Malaysian authorities, in a move which is believed to have smashed a major people smuggling operation.

The refugees — including nine children — were found crammed in squalid conditions under a makeshift tent on the deck of the rusted shipping freighter.

While Malaysian authorities celebrated smashing a people smuggling ring, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said it showed there was still a threat to Australia’s borders.

The smuggling operation is understood to have links to Australia, though no Australians were among the 12 people detained by authorities.

While the vessel was stopped far from Australian waters, Mr Dutton said it showed why border protection policies were still needed.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Picture Kym Smith

“It is clear the threat from criminal people smuggling syndicates remains and so must our efforts to maintain our border security,” he said.

“The need for Operation Sovereign Borders is as vital today as it was when it began, but unfortunately Labor’s support for tough border policies is ebbing away.”

He said Labor needed to publicly back OSB or “play into the hands of people smugglers”.

Opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann said Labor backed offshore processing, regional resettlement and boat turnbacks, accusing Mr Dutton of playing “petty politics”.

“Every time Peter Dutton lies about Labor’s strong position on border protection, he is a walking, talking billboard for the people smugglers,” Mr Neumann said.

A Sri Lankan refugee boat is seen drowning in shallow waters after being stranded in 2016. Picture: AFP

Malaysia’s national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the ship was part of a “large-scale and cunning” operation which had been running for a year.

“This syndicate has been operating since mid-2017 and has international connections across Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia.”

Malaysian authorities detained 12 people suspected of being involved in the people smuggling operation.

There were 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls on board the vessel.

It has been three years and nine months since the last successful illegal boat arrival in Australia, with more than 30 boat turnbacks in that time. There were 115 Sri Lankans in Australian Immigration detention centres as of March 31, only five of whom were women, according to Department of Home Affairs data.

Over the years, many such vessels have been stopped or have sunk off Indonesia. This flow has largely stopped in recent years however after Australia introduced tough policies in 2013 of turning back boats when it is safe to do so, an approach that angered Jakarta.

— with AP