Vietnamese boat held after attempting to ram MMEA patrol vessel in Kudat waters
KUDAT (July 22): A Vietnamese fishing vessel was detained for attempting to ram into a patrol vessel of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Kudat waters on Monday.
MMEA Kudat director Maritime Commander Hasbullah Omar said the foreign boat was detected 1.22 nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Bukit Pulau Malawali in Kudat at around 4am on July 21.
'As MMEA personnel approached, the suspects immediately fled the area. They also installed iron bars on the left and right sides of the boat to prevent MMEA from approaching.
'The suspects also tried to ram into MMEA patrol boat in their bid to escape,' said Hasbullah in a statement on Tuesday.
A 15-minute chase ended when MMEA personnel jumped onto the boat.
After a search, the boat was found conducting illegal trawling of sea cucumbers or gamat.
'About 40 kilograms of sea cucumbers and 300 litres of diesel oil were discovered on the boat.
'Five Vietnamese, aged between 28 and 39, were detained for not having any valid identification documents,' said Hasbullah.
The suspects together with the seafood and the boat, worth more than RM2 million, were escorted back to the Kudat MMEA jetty for further action.
The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Immigration Act 1956/63.
Hasbullah thanked the public for their continuous cooperation with the agency to combat illegal activities in Kudat waters.
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