The 21 illegal immigrants from a number of different countries were on their way to the Christmas Island of Australia.
Most of them suffered dehydration but they were all safe at the Cidaun police office, before being handed over to the local immigration office, a police officer said.
Some of the migrants said they left Java came to that place via the southern coast of Pameungpeuk-Garut with Australia as the destination. However, big waves drove their boat away from the destination and kept them stranded in the sea before local fishermen found them.
"They asked for help to bring them ashore . They have run out of food and drinking water. They included small children . We then brought them ashore and handed over to police," Mamun, one of the fishermen said.
The illegal immigrants included 12 from Bangladesh 4 from India, 3 from Pakistan with three skipper and crewmen of the boat from Makassar.
Many boat people from various countries have found stranded in Indonesian seas on their way to Australia.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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