MANILA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Eight Filipino seafarers who were detained for violating Malaysian immigration laws and regulations were freed, the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Friday.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said Malaysian authorities detained the eight Filipino crew members of the vessel MT Krishna 1 on April 11 in a police station in Kota Tinggi, a town in southern Malaysia.

The eight Filipino seafarers, along with 12 Indian crew members, were arrested due to alleged immigration offenses for entering Malaysia without passports and valid documents.

Cacdac said that preparations are underway to repatriate the seafarers to the Philippines. ■