KUCHING, June 24 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) impounded two Vietnamese fishing boats with about five tonnes of fish, off the Sarawak waters some 140 nautical miles north of Kuching, on Friday.

MMEA Sarawak Operations deputy director Maritime Commander Hamiludin Che Awang said the skippers and 19 crew members of both boats were also detained at 5.35 pm.

"Checks on the boats showed that they had illegally caught five tonnes of different types of fish and had also brought in about 10,000 litres of diesel.

"The skippers and crew who were between the ages of 21 and 44  had also failed to produce any identification documents,” he told a press conference at the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex (KOMTAS) jetty in Muara Tebas here today.

Hamiludin said the case was being investigated under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Fisheries Act 1985.

"For this year, there have been eight cases so far, involving foreign fishermen and they have all been brought to trial,” he said.

Those with information are required to report such activities that violate the law via the MERS 999 hotline or the Sarawak State Maritime Operations Center at 082-432544. — Bernama