BINTULU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained three Vietnamese fishing boats with 32 crew including three captains at a distance of about 193 nautical miles north of Bintulu Port, around 1.30am, last Thursday.
MMEA Bintulu Zone deputy director (operation) Commander Effendy Mohamed Fadil said the three boats were suspected of using fake registration numbers.
According to him, all the foreign fishing boats were detected around 10pm and did not act aggressively when approached by the enforcement officers.
“The first boat was detained at 10.45pm (Wednesday) while the second boat was detained at 11.16pm and the third boat at 1.30am (Thursday),” he said at a press conference at the Bintulu Zin Maritime Office on Sunday (Apr 17).
He stated that an inspection of the three fishing boats found that all 32 crew members including three tekong, aged between 24 and 55, did not have any valid identification documents apart from not having a licence to collect seafood in national waters.
Furthermore, Effendy said they also confiscated all the equipment used by the fishermen, including boats, fishing equipment as well as the catch and 2,000 liters of diesel oil estimated to be worth RM1.5 million.
The three vessels are suspected of committing offenses under the Fisheries Act 1985 for operating without a valid licence and of using fake registration numbers.
