LAHAD DATU, July 24 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained four men and seized two pump boats suspected of fishing using explosives in the waters of Tabawan, Kunak, this morning.
Lahad Datu Maritime Zone director Commander Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said, patrol boats carrying out routine tasks traced the boats behaving in a suspicious manner before detaining them at 11am.
“The suspects, aged 25 to 60 years, who were also foreign nationals, were detained while carrying out fish bombing activities.
“Inspection of the boats also found fish bombing tools,” he said in a statement here today.
Meanwhile, MMEA detained two Vietnamese fishing boats with 21 crew members including skippers in the waters off Kemaman believed to be trespassing and fishing in territorial waters without permission, yesterday.
Kemaman Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Rashidilhadi Abd Rashid said the two boats were detained between 3.30pm and 4.15pm located at about 58 to 60 nautical miles northeast of Kuala Kemaman.
“Investigation found that those arrested, aged between 17 and 67 years, had no identification documents. MMEA also seized 5,000 kilogrammes of mixed fish, 1,500 kilogrammes of trash fish, about 3,500 litres of diesel and fishing equipment worth at RM1.5 million,” he said in a statement today. — Bernama
