BINTULU, March 20: Two men have been arrested for allegedly using an illegal method to catch fishes and prawns in Sungai Kemena in Bintulu last night.
Bintulu Region 5 Marine Police commanding officer, ASP Ezuandi Bahadin said the duo, aged 35 and 53, were caught following complaints from the Pekan Village Development and Security Committee for using electrical shock and poison to catch fishes and prawns in Sungai Kemena.
“Following a tip-off and complaints, a team of enforcement officers conducted an operation codenamed ‘Ops Covid-19’ at 8.30pm,” he said.
Ezuandi added that the team arrested a 53-year-old man after he failed to provide good reasons why there were an electric cable, transformer and battery in his fiberglass boat.
This led to the arrest of the other suspect not far from the scene. The suspect was also found equipped with illegal devices to catch fishes and prawns, he said.
The team also seized two fiberglass boats worth RM32,000, two batteries and five transformers.
The suspects were later handed over to the Inland Agricultural Fisheries Department for further action.
Ezuandi said the case will be investigated under Section 9(1)(c)of the Sarawak Inland Agricultural Fisheries Ordinance 2003. — DayakDaily
