TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) expelled nine Indonesian anglers who were caught fishing in Malaysian waters off here, on Sunday.
Tawau Maritime Zone Director Maritime Captain Shahrizan Raman said they intercepted three boats during Ops Pluto Timur between 2.5 and 5.6 nautical miles north of Burst Point at 1pm.
Advertisement“The individuals, aged 28 to 52, had entered Malaysian waters without authorisation and lacked valid travel documents,” he said.
Authorities seized three fishing boats, three 15-horsepower outboard engines and marine catches valued at approximately RM20,000.
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After completing the documentation, the MMEA escorted the boats to the Malaysia-Indonesia maritime border.
AdvertisementThe MMEA said it would continue strengthening enforcement operations against illegal fishing and maritime trespassing, particularly within the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Essszone).
The agency urged the public to report maritime crimes or emergencies in Tawau waters to the Tawau Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 089-752116 or the 999 emergency hotline.
AdvertisementMeanwhile, in KUDAT, the MMEA thwarted an attempt by three Filipinos to smuggle controlled goods out of national waters, early Sunday.
Kudat Maritime Zone Director Hasbullah Omar said the success resulted from intelligence gathered by the Kudat Maritime Zone Intelligence Unit, which detected oil unloading and controlled goods activities in the waters around 12.13am.
He said a team was dispatched to the location for monitoring upon receiving the information.
“Upon arrival at the location, a suspicious boat was detected at 4.2 nautical miles northeast of Pulau Tiga, believed to be heading toward Malaysia-Philippines border waters,” he said.
The team intercepted and inspected the vessel, resulting in the discovery of six blue drums containing petrol, 100 packs of wheat flour and 120 packs of sugar, all believed to be intended for smuggling.
“Further inspection found three Filipinos operating the boat, aged between 20 and 21 years old, and none could produce valid identification documents,” he said.
The trio, along with the boat and all seized items, were transported to the Kudat Marina Jetty for further action.
The total estimated value of the seizure, including the boat used, exceeds RM21,000.
The case is being investigated under the Supply Control Act 1961, Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Enactment 2002.
He urged the public, particularly the maritime community in Kudat waters, to cooperate with authorities in combating smuggling and maritime crime by providing information through the Kudat Operations Centre at 088-611858 or the 24-hour emergency line 999.
