KUCHING: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) here detained a tugboat and seven crew members for committing various offences off Kuching waters yesterday.
MMEA Sarawak director First Admiral Mohd Khairi Abd Aziz said the vessel was intercepted at 12.30pm during ‘Ops Tiris’ and ‘Ops Permai’.
The boat, manned by seven men aged between 20 and 59, was spotted about 7.26 nautical miles north of Kuala Sadong.
“Further inspections found that the crew had been operating the vessel with an expired licence, failed to display valid shipping documents, and not maintaining its name markings.
“All of which are offences under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952,” he said.
Following that, both the vessel and its crew were escorted to MMEA Sarawak Vessel Detention Centre and handed over to investigating officers for further action.
In light of this, Mohd Khairi reminded the community to always comply with maritime laws and safety procedures at sea to avoid any untoward incidents.
The public is urged to report any complaints, information, or emergencies at sea to MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544.
