KUCHING: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) have detained a tugboat and two crew members for various offenses during inspections last night (Apr 29).
MMEA Sarawak director First Admiral Mohd Khairi Abd Aziz said they were detained around 10.20 pm during ‘Op Tiris’ and ‘Op Permai’ patrols.
The vessel, operated by two locals, was spotted at about 10 nautical miles north of Tanjung Marou.
“Checks found that the crew failed to produce a valid domestic shipping licence (DSL), failed to report a change of skipper and was operating without a sufficient number of crew members.
“Both the vessel and the crew members, aged 41 and 51, were escorted to the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex Jetty (KOMTAS) in Muara Tebas for further action,” he said.
The case is being investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.
Mohd Khairi also reminded the maritime community to comply with maritime laws and observe safety procedures at sea to prevent unwanted incidents.
The public is urged to report complaints, information, or emergencies at sea directly to the MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544.
