Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency intercepts Vietnamese fishing vessels off Kudat
KUDAT:
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intercepted and thwarted an attempt by two Vietnamese fishing vessels (pic below) actively plundering the country's marine resources in the waters of Kudat, recently.
Kudat Maritime Zone Director Hasbullah Omar, said the success was the result of a tip-off received by the agency.
Advertisement
He said following the information, the Kudat Maritime Zone patrol asset, Bot Cenderawasih 10, which was conducting Op Pluto Timur, Op Cegah Pati and Op Naga Timur, was deployed to the location.
'Upon arriving at the target area about 4.2 nautical miles northeast of Latoan Island, the operation team detected two Vietnamese vessels engaged in illegal fishing activities.
SPONSORED CONTENT
'As the team approached, the suspects were seen cut their tow lines, leaving long trailing ropes at the stern of the vessels and installed iron bars on the left and right sides of the boats, refusing to cooperate when ordered to stop.
'However, their trick failed after a 15-minute chase, during which MMEA personnel successfully boarded the vessels to halt them,' he said.
Advertisement
He said, upon inspection, both fishing boats were suspected of engaging in trawling and collecting sea cucumbers, as specially designed solid iron equipment for harvesting sea cucumbers was discovered.
He added that checks on both vessels also uncovered some 20kg of wet sea cucumbers and around 2,000 litres of diesel fuel.
Advertisement
He said 11 Vietnamese nationals, aged between 25 and 54, were detained for lacking valid identification documents.
All detainees, along with seized items, including the vessels and marine products estimated to be worth over RM4 million, were escorted to the jetty for further investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Immigration Act 1956/63.
Hasbullah expressed MMEA's deepest gratitude for the cooperation extended by the public, particularly the maritime community around Kudat waters, for consistently providing information on crimes and misconduct in the area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
5 hours ago
- Daily Express
RM1.9 million syabu seized from drifting boat
Published on: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Published on: Wed, Aug 20, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: Khairul-anuar (centre) showing the 42 packages, weighing a total of 42kg, of drugs seized. Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah and Labuan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized 42 kilogrammes of syabu worth RM1.9 million from an unregistered boat found drifting near the Royal Malaysian Navy's Papa Station on Monday. Sabah MMEA Director First Admiral Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid @ Razali said the total value of the seizure, including the boat, was estimated at RM2.5 million, making it the largest drug bust by Sabah MMEA to date. Advertisement He said the vessel was handed over to MMEA around 8.20am after being spotted adrift by navy personnel. 'An initial inspection by the navy uncovered three suspicious packages hidden in the bilges. 'A further inspection at Sepanggar MMEA jetty, assisted by our Forensic Team and Maritime Crime Investigation Section, found another 39 packages concealed in the water storage tank,' he said. He said all 42 packages, weighing a total of 42kg, are suspected to contain dangerous drugs and will be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, on conviction. 'No crew was found on board the boat, believed to be a leisure or fishing vessel,' Khairulanuar said. Investigations are ongoing to determine the boat's origin and whether the contraband was intended for Sabah or another country. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
18 hours ago
- Borneo Post
RM1.9 million worth of drugs seized from drifting boat
Razali (centre) and his officers with the seized drugs. KOTA KINABALU (Aug 19): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized about RM1.9 million worth of drugs from a drifting boat near the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) offshore station at Beting Peninjau (Investigator Shoal), also known as Papa Station, on Monday. MMEA Sabah and Labuan director Maritime First Admiral Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid @ Razali said the agency was alerted by the RMN around 8.20am after the abandoned boat was discovered. An inspection by MMEA officers found three suspicious packages in the bilge section. The boat was later towed to the MMEA jetty in Sepanggar, where a further search uncovered 39 more packages hidden in the water storage tank. 'All 42 packages contained crystalline substances believed to be drugs worth RM1.9 million,' Razali told reporters at a press conference at the MMEA Sabah headquarters on Tuesday. The drugs will be sent to the Chemistry Department for confirmation. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment upon conviction. Razali said investigations are ongoing to determine how the boat was abandoned and drifted to the RMN Papa Station area. No arrests have been made so far. He added that MMEA will continue to strengthen patrols and enforcement in Sabah waters with the cooperation of the RMN and other agencies to curb drug smuggling activities.
The Star
19 hours ago
- The Star
Abandoned drug-laden vessel drifts into naval outpost off Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: An abandoned fishing boat with about RM1.9mil worth of drugs stashed on board drifted into the Station Papa naval outpost in the South China Sea, about 270km from here. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sabah and Labuan FT director First Admiral Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid said 42kg of syabu were found on the boat at 8.20am on Monday (Aug 18). He said the Royal Malaysian Navy in the area found three suspicious packages in the bilge and immediately contacted the MMEA. "When it arrived at the MMEA jetty in Sepanggar, further inspection by a forensics team found 39 more packets of drugs hidden in the water storage tank," he told a press conference at MMEA headquarters here on Tuesday (Aug 19). First Adm Khairulanuar said the drugs will be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis to help with the investigation. He said the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. "The total value of the boat and drugs is estimated at RM2.5mil. "This is the biggest seizure this year by the Sabah MMEA, and we believe that the drugs were meant to be brought onto the mainland here," he said. The fishing vessel was close to international boundaries in the South China Sea. Investigations are continuing to identify its owner and those involved in the smuggling attempt, First Adm Khairulanuar added.
