LUMUT: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a foreign oil tanker at 11.5 nautical miles southwest of Pangkor Island, yesterday, on suspicion of anchoring in Malaysian waters without permission.
Perak MMEA director, Maritime Captain Mohd Hambali Ya’akup said the agency was alerted on the presence of the suspicious vessel by the Malaysian Maritime sea Surveillance System (SWASLA) at about 1.30 pm.
Following that, he said, a patrol boat was mobilised to the location and found the Vietnam-registered oil tanker there.
“The ship, believed on its way to Bangladesh, was manned by 19 crew, including the ‘master’, all Vietnamese nationals aged between 22 and 56 years and they were detained for further investigation,” he said in a statement today.
The ship was detained under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) Act 1952 on suspicion of anchoring without permission from the Malaysian Marine Department.
He urged the public with information or complaints about maritime crime to contact the Perak Maritime Operations Center at 05-6838737 or MERS 999. - Bernama