KOTA BELUD: Marine police seized a Mongolia-registered dredger ship for extracting sand without permission from the local authority in waters off the district.
The seizure was made during “Op Terancang” at Usukan Island, about 5pm, on Monday.
The ship and sand seized were estimated to be worth some RM7.5 million.
According to a source, marine personnel and officers located the ship some 0.38 nautical miles from Usukan Island.
“Following an inspection, the Indonesian skipper failed to furnish any permit to enable the dredger to extract sand from the waters in the area,” said the source.
It was learnt that the marine police subsequently arrested the skipper along with two Chinese crew members.
When contacted, Region 4 Marine Police Commanding Officer ACP Ahmad Ariffin confirmed the arrest and seizure.
