MMEA seizes foreign vessel near Tioman

KUANTAN: A Vietnamese fishing vessel and its six crew members have been apprehended by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for encroaching into Malaysian waters and illegally harvesting marine resources near Pulau Tioman.

Both the boat and its 250kg catch, valued at approximately RM1.7mil, were seized.

Pahang MMEA director First Admiral (M) Mazlan Mat Rejab said they identified a suspicious boat during aerial patrols over Pahang waters on Friday.

“There were six crew members, including the skipper, aged between 19 and 37 years, aboard the boat, all of whom were Vietnamese men.“They did not have any identification documents and presented dubious boat licences.

“They also have no authorisation to fish in Malaysian waters,” he said in a statement yesterday, reported BK.

The case is being investigated under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985, which stipulates a fine not exceeding RM6mil for the captain and RM600,000 for each crew member upon conviction, he added.Meanwhile,

in Batu Pahat, the MMEA arrested six Indonesians suspected of being illegal immigrants trying to leave the country at 9.30am on Friday.Batu Pahat Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Mohd Haniff Mohd Yunus said the team had intercepted a fibre boat in an area approximately 10 nautical miles from the southwest of Tampok,

Pontian, while conducting patrols and enforcement under Ops Jaksa and Op Tiris 3.0.

“The inspection found six Indonesians who failed to produce any valid identification to enter the country.

The arrest involved one skipper and five others, aged between 26 and 42,” he said in a statement.Mohd Haniff said the skipper will be investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides a prison sentence of up to 20 years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.