TAWAU: Two local boats were detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Malaysian Maritime) Tawau Maritime Zone Wednesday on suspicion of various offences.
Tawau Maritime Zone Director, Maritime Captain Shahrizan Raman, said the boats were detained during the Malaysian Maritime’s Op Pluto Timur 2/2023 and Op Sejahtera.
He said the first case involved a boat that was fishing in the waters around Merotai at 11.30am.
“Inspection on the boat detained at 1.9 nautical miles southwest of the Merotai River estuary found that there were three Indonesian passport holders aged between 20 and 42 operating the boat.
“Further inspection found the boat committed an offence by carrying out trawling activities less than two nautical miles from land,” he said.
The other case involved a local passenger boat detained in the same operation at 2.5 nautical miles south of Batu 3, around 12.15pm.
Shahrizan said an inspection on the boat skippered by a local man, 27, found it carrying a load of 250kg of Bombay onions.
The skipper failed to declare the load carried and violated the valid conditions of the passenger boat licence, he said.
He said the two boats along with their cargo and all crew were taken to the Tawau Maritime Zone jetty and handed over to the Malaysian Maritime for investigation under the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department Enactment (JPDS) 2002, the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Customs Act 1967.
All items, including both boats and loads estimated valued at more than RM120,000, were seized until the investigation process was completed.
Shahrizan reminded the local maritime community to obey the law.
He said the Malaysian Maritime would not compromise if any of them failed to comply with the valid conditions of the licence.
“The Malaysian Maritime will continue to strengthen enforcement duties and optimise operations to combat illegal activities in the Malaysian Maritime Zone, especially in the waters of Eastern Sabah (Esszone).
“Forward any criminal misconduct that occurs around Tawau waters to the Tawau Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 089-752116 or MERS999,” he added.
