LABUAN, Aug 31 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Labuan arrested 12 Vietnamese men for illegal fishing less than 9.5 nautical miles from Pulau Mengalum yesterday morning.
The team also seized the fishing vessel with 60 kilogrammes marine catch.
Labuan MMEA regional director Maritime Captain Che Adnan Md Isa said the agency was carrying out an operation codenamed Operasi Naga Timur at 7.30am when the fishing trawler was detected less than 12 nautical miles from the Pulau Mengalum.
Che Adnan said from afar, the boats looked like foreign vessels but upon closer inspection, it was revealed that they were all Vietnamese who age aged between 24 and 45 years old.
“The suspects were arrested and brought to the Labuan jetty to facilitate investigations under Section 8 (b) of the Fisheries Act 1985,” Che Adnan explained.
He urged the public to contact the Labuan MMEA operations centre at 087-427999 to report any suspicious activity at sea. — Bernama
