MERSING, April 24 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained 21 Vietnamese skippers and crew members for illegally fishing in the country’s waters on Friday.

Mersing Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Khairul Nizam Misran said two boats and fishing equipment worth about RM2 million were seized during operations dubbed ‘Op Khas Pagar Laut’ and ’Op Khas Kuda Laut’ about 62 nautical miles north-east of Kuala Mersing at 10 am.

He said about 6,000 kg of various types of catch and about 5,500 litres of diesel were also confiscated.

"The suspects, aged between 16 and 62, failed to produce their identification documents and were taken to the Malaysian Maritime Jetty at Teluk Gading Post for further investigation,” he said in a statement today. — Bernama