SHAH ALAM, Feb 19 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has arrested nine Myanmar crew from four fishing boats on suspicion of stealing cockle seeds in the waters of Sabak Bernam near here last Friday.

Selangor MMEA director Mohd Rosli Abdullah said the crew, aged between 18 and 30, were caught red handed as they were too preoccupied in stealing the seeds to realise the presence of the enforcement team.

"Initial investigation also found that none of them has valid identification documents,” he said in a statement here today.

He said the case would be investigated under Section 6(1)© of the Immigration Act and the Fisheries(Cockles Conservation and Culture) Regulations 2002.

Yesterday, 169 illegal immigrants of various nationals were also picked up during a raid on a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya.

Selangor Immigration enforcement chief Jaimin Sumpit said the operation was carried out by the 90-member team following public complaints that the mall had been the main spot for illegal foreign workers.

Most of them, 150 of whom were men, have no valid working permit, he added. — Bernama