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LABUAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a tugboat with a barge for operating outside the permitted area in Labuan waters, on Wednesday.

Labuan Maritime Zone Director Captain Nudin Jusoh said during a routine patrol around noon, an MMEA patrol team detected the tugboat and barge about 1.2 nautical miles off Labuan Island.

“During the inspection, our personnel found that the tugboat and barge were operated by four local crew members and a captain, aged between 28 and 53 years,” he said.

The vessel’s licence stipulates that it is only allowed to operate in the waters of Kudat, Sabah, he said in a statement.

Nudin said the captain of tugboat and the barge and all the crews were detained to assist in investigation under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.