SANDAKAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritim Malaysia) Sandakan Zone detained several individuals and seized illegal fishing equipment in two separate cases on Tuesday.
Sandakan Maritime Zone Director, Maritime Captain Muhamad Suhairy Hussain, said the arrests were made through OP Khas Cegah PATI (OCP)/OP Pluto Timur and OP Tiris, covering the waters from Sandakan to Kinabatangan.
In the first case, Maritime Vessel (KM) Pintar detained and inspected a Local Fishing Vessel (VNT) at 8am, 10.2 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Layar-layar, here.
“Upon inspection, the vessel was found to have violated the terms of its fishing licence under the Fisheries Act 1985 by using fish aggregation lamps anchored to the seabed to catch fish within 12 nautical miles from the mainland.
“Nine individuals, including the skipper and crew, were detained.
“They comprise both local and foreign nationals, some of whom had suspicious identification documents and will be investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said in a statement.
Various equipment and evidence were also seized, including the fishing vessel, fish aggregation lamps, a fishing licence and approximately 100kg of seafood.
In a separate case, KM Tebrau detected a VNT via radar that was operating a trawler outside the permitted area in the waters of Kinabatangan Kecil.
“Further inspection found two individuals on-board, one of whom was a Malaysian citizen, while the other was a foreign national.
“The vessel was detained at 12.28pm, 2.4 nautical miles from Kinabatangan Kecil, for offences under the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Immigration Act 1959/63. Confiscated items included a trawl net, trawl boards, GPS equipment, fish and prawns.
“All detainees and seized items were brought to the Sandakan Maritime Zone Jetty and handed over to the investigating officer for further action,” Suhairy said.
He said these operations were part of Maritime Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to curb illegal fishing activities that frequently violate regulations and involve unauthorised equipment, ensuring compliance with national immigration laws.
He also urged the maritime community to cooperate with Maritime Malaysia by reporting any illegal activities or maritime emergencies via the Sandakan Maritime Zone’s 24-hour operations centre at 089-229504 or the emergency hotline 999.
