Illegal fishing: Six Vietnamese fined RM1.3 million
Published on: Tuesday, May 07, 2024
By: Cynthia D Baga
The offence, under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under Section 25(a) of the same Act and read with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides for a fine of up to RM6 million for the vessel skipper and RM600,000 for each crew member of the vessel, on conviction.
Kota Kinabalu: Six Vietnamese men were fined a total of RM1.3 million for fishing illegally in the Malaysian waters.
They were skipper Tran Van Thom, 34, crews Danh Vi Khang, 23, Truong Thanh Tuan, 51, Nguyen Chi Linh, 27, Doan Truong Giang, 31, and Ha Trong Luan, 37.
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All of them pleaded guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus after the charge against them was read by a Vietnamese interpreter.
The skipper was fined RM800,000 or eight months’ jail, while the crew members were ordered to pay RM100,000 or six months’ jail each.
They were detained at 9.50pm on April 18 this year on a Vietnamese fishermen boat without registration number at Pulau Sibongor Laut for not having permit to fish in the Malaysian waters.
The offence, under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985 and punishable under Section 25(a) of the same Act and read with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides for a fine of up to RM6 million for the vessel skipper and RM600,000 for each crew member of the vessel, on conviction.
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurun Nazifah Muhammad Iyen from the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency prosecuted.
The court also ordered the vessel and all equipment seized to be forfeited to the Government of Malaysia.
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The court ordered the vessel including equipment to be forfeited to the government.
The Vietnamese men were ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department after paying the fine or serving jail sentence.
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