Two fishing vessels were detained off Selangor after nine foreign crew members failed to produce valid identification, work permits or written authorisation.
PETALING JAYA: Nine foreign fishermen were detained after failing to produce valid identification and employment documents during separate operations involving two Malaysian fishing vessels off Selangor.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized about 1,450kg of mixed fish during the operations, in which two Class C fishing vessels were detained for alleged violations of fishing licence conditions.
Selangor Maritime director Capt Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the first vessel was detained at 5pm on Saturday, about 12.3 nautical miles south-west of Tanjung Sauh, Sungai Besar.
The second vessel was detained at 5.15pm yesterday, approximately 26.2 nautical miles south-west of the same location.
The detainees comprised five Myanmar nationals, aged between 44 and 56, including a skipper and four crew members, and four Indonesians, aged between 33 and 48, comprising a skipper and three crew members.
“Both detentions were carried out by an MMEA vessel conducting routine patrols in Selangor waters,” Abdul Muhaimin said in a statement today.
He said further inspections found that all nine foreigners had failed to produce valid identification documents.
None had work permits or written authorisation from the director-general of the Fisheries Department to work aboard the vessels.
Both vessels, together with the seized catch, were subsequently escorted to the Marine Police jetty in Pulau Indah for further action.
The cases are being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Immigration Act 1959/63 over suspected fishing licence violations and failure to produce valid identification documents.
“MMEA will continue to intensify patrols and enforcement to ensure that the country’s waters, particularly off Selangor, are not used by any party to carry out activities that violate the law,” Abdul Muhaimin said.
MMEA also urged the public to report suspicious activities at sea through the emergency hotline at 999 or the Selangor Maritime Operations Centre at 013-660 6652.