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KUDAT: Two trawler-type fishing boats were detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritim Malaysia) in Kudat waters on Sunday for operating less than three nautical miles from the shore.

Kudat Maritime Zone Director Commander Hasbullah Omar said the vessels were detected at around 6.30pm, about 2.6 nautical miles northeast of Marina estuary, through Sabah’s Sea Surveillance System (Swasla).

A patrol vessel dispatched under Ops Sejahtera, Ops Pluto Timur, Ops Cegah Pati and Ops Tiris found the boats trawling nets within prohibited waters and detained six individuals, including two locals and four Indonesians with valid documents.

Another boat was detained at 7pm the same evening, about 2.2 nautical miles off Tagumamal waters, carrying nine crew members, one of whom was a Filipino with questionable identification.

Hasbullah said over 1.5 tonnes of mixed fish and two tonnes of fish used for fertiliser were seized, and all suspects, boats and catch were brought to Kudat Maritime Jetty for further action under the Fisheries Act 1985 and Immigration Act 1959/63.