MIRI, Sept 21: Two days after detaining a vessel at about 4.3 nautical miles off Kuala Baram for trawling illegally, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Miri cornered two local fishing boats around the same area on Thursday (Sept 20) for the same offence.
Nine crews from both vessels, including the skippers, were also detained. They were aged between 20 and 52 years.
A patrolling team doing their rounds under `Ops Permai’ spotted the two vessels at about 3.30am some 7 nautical miles off Kuala Baram. The two vessels were found to be filled with half a tonne of marine life estimated to be worth about RM5,000.
“At 4.15am and 4.45am, the agency (MMEA Miri) come within reach of the vessels,” said MMEA Miri chief Mohd Fauzi Othman.
He added that one of the vessels had been detained for the same offence in March this year.
The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985.
On Tuesday (Sept 18), MMEA Miri detained six local crews of a vessel off the Kuala Baram coastline for illegal trawling. Marine life worth RM5,000 were seized. — DayakDaily
