
Sandakan MMEA foils RM830k fuel smuggling attempt
A pump boat was detained 0.8 nautical miles offshore while heading towards a neighbouring country.
Sandakan maritime zone director Maritime Captain Muhamad Suhairy Hussain confirmed the arrest at 1.05 am after detecting suspicious navigation patterns.
The boat carried 250 blue barrels of petrol (50,000 litres), 15 barrels of diesel (3,000 litres), and 120 branded gas cylinders.
'The skipper and seven crew members, aged 27 to 50, failed to present valid travel or cargo declaration documents,' said Muhamad Suhairy.
Four men and two women from a neighbouring country, aged 16 to 41, were also detained as passengers.
The case is under investigation under the Control of Supplies Act 1962, Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, and Immigration Act 1959/63.
'This arrest reflects MMEA's commitment to curbing smuggling and safeguarding national waters,' he added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Tanker detained for illegal anchoring off Tanjung Segenting
JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a Bridgetown-registered tanker for anchoring without permission in the waters of Tanjung Segenting, Batu Pahat early today. In a statement today, Batu Pahat Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Mohammad Zaini Zainal said the vessel was intercepted about 12.8 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Segenting after its captain failed to produce anchoring documents during an inspection at 12.30am. The tanker, en route from Dubai to Vietnam, had earlier called at Port of Tanjung Bruas, Melaka to load 6,894 metric tonnes of tar. It was manned by 18 crew members, including the captain, all Indian nationals aged between 22 and 45, who possessed valid travel documents, he added. The case is being investigated under Section 491B(1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for anchoring without the approval of the Malaysian Marine Department director-general. "MMEA will continue to enforce maritime laws and will not hesitate to act against illegal anchoring," Mohammad Zaini said. – Bernama

Barnama
6 hours ago
- Barnama
Tanker Detained For Illegal Anchoring Off Tanjung Segenting
JOHOR BAHRU, July 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a Bridgetown-registered tanker for anchoring without permission in the waters of Tanjung Segenting, Batu Pahat early today. In a statement today, Batu Pahat Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Mohammad Zaini Zainal said the vessel was intercepted about 12.8 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Segenting after its captain failed to produce anchoring documents during an inspection at 12.30 am. The tanker, en route from Dubai to Vietnam, had earlier called at Port of Tanjung Bruas, Melaka to load 6,894 metric tonnes of tar. It was manned by 18 crew members, including the captain, all Indian nationals aged between 22 and 45, who possessed valid travel documents, he added.


New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MCBA foils attempt to smuggle exotic animals worth RM73,000
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Control and Border Protection Agency (MCBA) has foiled an attempt by a man to smuggle six exotic animals worth RM73,000 to Hyderabad, India. In a statement today, the agency said the local man was arrested in an operation involving its KLIA personnel and the Aviation Security (AVSEC) team at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1. "Acting on intelligence received, two KLIA MCBA officers along with three AVSEC personnel conducted a further inspection of a passenger's luggage. "The suspect was detained at 10pm after he was found attempting to smuggle several exotic animals on flight MH0198 to Hyderabad, India." MCBA said an initial X-ray scan of the luggage revealed suspicious images resembling wildlife. "Further inspection uncovered six wild animals - two silvery langurs (lotong kelabu), two siamangs, and two armadillos - all classified as endangered and protected species under both national and international laws." The agency said the 38-year-old suspect, from Selangor, was detained to assist investigations under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008. "All the seized animals have been handed over to the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) for further action," it added. The agency said the effort reflects MCBA's continued commitment to combating wildlife smuggling activities, which threaten the country's biodiversity and tarnish Malaysia's image on the international stage.