KUCHING: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s (MMEA) Offshore Patrol Vessel 1 (OPV1) have detained a foreign fishing boat operated by two crew members for encroaching into national waters on Thursday night (Feb 8).
According to MMEA Sarawak director First Admiral Zin Azman Md Yunus, the Indonesian vessel was sighted about 105 nautical miles north of Tanjung Po around 10.55pm.
He added that the inspecting team encountered challenges during the arrest due to a serious leak on their vessel, believed to have been deliberately caused by the foreign boat’s crew to evade arrest.
“Despite this, the team successfully apprehended the skipper and his crew, aged 33 and 45 years old, even though the suspect’s fishing boat sank en route to Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex Jetty (KOMTAS).
“Subsequent investigations revealed that the two Indonesian crew members lacked valid identification documents.
“Both individuals were arrested for trespassing into national waters, and the case will be investigated under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for fishing in Malaysian waters without the permission of the Director General of Fisheries Malaysia,” he said.
If convicted, the skipper could face a fine of up to RM6 million, while the crew member could be fined up to RM500,000 and sentenced to one year in prison.
Zin Azman assured the public that patrols and monitoring will be intensified to deter any maritime law violations in Sarawak’s waters.
Anyone with information on misconduct, criminal activities, or emergencies at sea is urged to contact the MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544 for immediate assistance.
