BINTULU: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak branch detained a foreign fishing boat for trespassing in Sarawak waters at a distance of 113 nautical miles north of Tanjung Kidurong at about 12.30pm on Saturday (July 11).
Bintulu Maritime Zone acting director Maritime Commander Effendy Mohamed Fadil said all 16 vessel crew members including a Vietnamese captain, men aged between 27 and 55 years old, were detained by a team of MMEA personnel from the Sri Aman Maritime Ship carrying out Ops Naga Timur.
“Before the detention, the foreign vessel crew were engaged in fishing activities using the diving method.
“Further investigations found catches of mixed fish while the ‘tekong’ and two of his crew failed to produce any document of permission to enter the country,” Effendy said in a statement.
The boat and the crew were detained and escorted into Bintulu for further investigation and Covid-19 screening by the Ministry of Health.
The boat along with equipment and catches with an estimated value of RM1 million were seized by the MMEA to assist in the investigations.
The case will be investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 for not having permission to carry out any fishing activities in national waters and the Immigration Act 1959/63 because the ‘tekong’ and crew do not have any permission document to enter the country.
MMEA is currently increasing its enforcement patrol and control to counter the intrusion of foreign fishermen.
Anyone with information on criminal or emergency at sea are asked to contact MERS 999 or the Bintulu Maritime Zone Maritime Operations Centre at 086-314 254.
