68 Turkish Nationals Apprehended for Squatting in Malaysian Airport
Joe Cortez October 06, 2014
Dozens of Turkish nationals were apprehended after being caught living in a Malaysian airport for over a month.
A total of 68 Turkish nationals are in the custody of the Malaysian police after inhabiting Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) for over a month. The Economic Times reports that the group was discovered following a set of arrests on September 30.
According to The Economic Times, authorities were first tipped off to the Turkish group after three men were apprehended for trying to gain entry to a satellite terminal in KUL. Through the arrest, authorities discovered and detained 65 other individuals living in the airport. Those detained include 38 adults and 21 children, the youngest of which is 6 months old.
“They slept on cloth on the floor and bathed and changed in the toilets. At the airport, these things are a routine sight to us,” Sepang deputy Officer in Command Police District Superintendent Zaldino Zaludin told The Star. “They had money with them. The viewing gallery is a very big place — with toilets, prayer rooms and shops. If you have money, you can practically live there.”
The group was able to live undetected for over a month by disguising themselves as passengers in transit. Zaludin told The Economic Times that the group’s behavior was not different from that of regular passengers at KUL.
According to The Star, the men have been separated from the women and children, and both groups are being detained in two different police stations in the capital. Authorities have not yet identified the group’s motive for living in KUL. The group will be investigated by the Malaysian Immigration Department and could face criminal charges.
[Photo: Kuala Lumpur International Airport]
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... but there are no public showers .... or are there? Time to revive the malodorous passenger discussion.
They had money with them. To live in the airport you would still have had to buy food too. This was some sort of scam, probably had some spare time and decided it was cheaper to live in he airport for a month then get accomodation. Charge them, chuck them in jail (not the children) for a bit and then deport them. If they need support, thats the job of the Turkish Authorities. Also beef up security, at sleeping passengers should be politely woken and asked to provide proof of travel. Getting a bit of shut eye when you have long connections is fine, living there like a hobo is not.
@Indelaware, perhaps you can invite them to your house and feed them?
It's about time! They need to be charged with at least criminal trespassing and then deported. If someone doesn't have a ticket to fly, that person should be thrown out. Airports are NOT homes. Moreover, local governments should never be responsible for homeless people from other nations.
Criminalizing the homeless. Outrageous. The better question to ask is why airport staff took so long as to realize that there were needy people among them -- and why no social services were provided by the airport or the government.