BINTULU: Five Indonesians have been detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) after the local fishing vessel they were operating was found to have an expired apparatus assignment licence.
Bintulu Maritime Zone Director, Captain Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah, said the boat was intercepted at around 6.30 pm yesterday, about 2.5 nautical miles north of Samalaju waters, during a patrol carried out under Ops Pagar Laut, Ops Tiris and Ops Permai.
He said that the crew, aged between 19 and 50, included the skipper.
“The vessel is suspected of committing an offence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988 for operating with an expired licence.
“The offence carries a fine upon conviction,” he said in a statement today.
The boat and its documents were seized and escorted to the Vessel Detention Centre at the Bintulu Maritime Zone for further investigation by MMEA officers.
The MMEA has reminded maritime communities to comply with all regulations before carrying out any activities at sea.
Members of the public are urged to report any suspicious activity or maritime incident to the Bintulu Maritime Zone Operations Centre via 086-314254, the Sarawak Maritime Operations Centre via 082-432544, or the 24-hour emergency line at 999.
