Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a local fishing vessel operating suspiciously some 31.6 nautical miles west of Tanjung Aru, here, on Monday.
The vessel, carrying a skipper and five crew members, was intercepted around 4.10pm during a routine patrol in the Beting Menggalong waters.
“An inspection revealed that the vessel violated the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952 by failing to meet minimum crew requirements,” said Sabah and Labuan MMEA Director First Admiral Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid @ Razali.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Two crew members were found without any valid identification documents or work permits, violating the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“The vessel and crew, along with some 900kg of mixed fish, were detained and escorted to the Malaysian Maritime Jetty in Sepanggar for further investigation,” he said.
The total value of the seizure is estimated at RM200,000. He said the MMEA has zero tolerance for those who deliberately break the law and disregard safety aspects and operational regulations at sea.
“Maritime Malaysia will continue to tighten monitoring, particularly in hotspot areas identified as gathering points for fishing vessels that defy established regulations,” he said.
He urged the public to continue providing information about any suspicious activities by contacting the Sabah and Labuan Maritime Operations Centre at 088-387774 or the 24-hour emergency line 999.
