Latest news with #MMEA
Daily Express
10 hours ago
- Daily Express
Illegal fishing: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency nabs five Vietnamese
Published on: Wednesday, July 23, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 23, 2025 By: Patimang Abdul Ghani, Winnie Kasmir Text Size: The five Vietnamese nationals with their fishing boat detained. KUDAT: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained five Vietnamese nationals suspected of illegal fishing in the waters off Pulau Malawali early Monday. The seizure, including the vessel and equipment, was valued at more than RM2 million. Kudat Maritime Zone Director Hasbullah Omar said their vessel was detected at 4am 1.22 nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Bukit, Pulau Malawali, following a public tip. The patrol boat Cenderawasih 10 was immediately deployed to the location. However, when authorities attempted to approach, the suspects cut their towing rope, leaving it trailing behind their vessel and installed iron barriers on both sides of the boat while refusing to cooperate with orders to stop. 'The suspects attempted to ram our patrol boat when we tried to get closer, but their plan failed after a 15-minute chase ended when our officers successfully boarded their vessel,' Hasbullah said. Upon inspection, the vessel was found to be equipped with specialised iron equipment designed for sea cucumber harvesting. Some 40kg of sea cucumbers and 300 litres of diesel fuel were found on board. The Vietnamese nationals, aged between 28 and 39 years, were arrested for lacking valid identification documents. The suspects, vessel and marine catch were brought to the jetty for further investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985 and Immigration Act 1956/63. In SANDAKAN, the MMEA thwarted an attempt to smuggle diesel, petrol and gas worth RM830,000 to a neighbouring country by detaining a pump boat 0.8 nautical miles off Tanjung Aru, on Monday. Sandakan Maritime Zone Director Maritime Captain Muhamad Suhairy Hussain said the boat, operated by a male skipper with seven male crew members, was detained at 1.05am after the boat's navigation was detected as suspicious and heading towards the waters of a neighbouring country. 'The boat was found to be carrying 250 blue barrels containing 50,000 litres of petrol, 15 barrels containing 3,000 litres of diesel and 120 branded cylinders of gas. The skipper and crew of the boat, aged between 27 and 50, failed to produce valid travel documents. 'They also failed to produce valid declaration documents to carry the controlled goods. In addition, the police also arrested four men and two women, aged between 16 and 41, from neighbouring countries who were passengers on the boat,' he said in a statement. Muhamad Suhairy said the case was being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1962, the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and the Immigration Act 1959/63. 'This arrest is part of the MMEA's ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and maintain the security of the country's waters,' he added. * 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
a day ago
- Borneo Post
Vietnamese boat held after attempting to ram MMEA patrol vessel in Kudat waters
The Vietnamese fishing boat caught for illegal trawling of sea cucumbers 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.
Daily Express
a day ago
- Daily Express
Vietnamese vessel caught in Kudat after ramming patrol boat
Published on: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 22, 2025 By: Patimang Abdul Ghani Text Size: The four Vietnamese fishermen detained by Malaysian Maritime authorities KUDAT: Five Vietnamese fishermen were detained after their vessel attempted to ram a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol boat in a failed bid to evade capture near Pulau Malawali early Monday. The vessel, spotted around 4am following a public tip-off, refused to comply with orders to stop. The suspects cut their towing rope, deployed metal bars, and aggressively tried to ram the pursuing patrol boat. After a 15-minute chase, MMEA officers boarded and secured the vessel. Authorities seized about 40kg of illegally caught sea cucumbers (balat), 300 litres of diesel, and specialised metal equipment designed for illegal seabed trawling. The five suspects, aged 28–39, had no valid identification. The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 and Immigration Act 1956/63. Total seizures, including the vessel and gear, are valued at over RM2 million. * 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
Daily Express
a day ago
- Daily Express
Six rescued as boat leaks in Lahad Datu waters
Published on: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 22, 2025 Text Size: The victims were rescued after their boat leaked off Pulau Timbun Mata. LAHAD DATU: Six individuals including two boys were rescued after the fibre boat they were travelling in leaked off Pulau Timbun Mata, Kunak, here, on Sunday. The victims were rescued by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). Lahad Datu Maritime Zone Director, Maritime Commander Dzulfikhar Ali said the Lahad Datu Maritime Zone Operation Centre received a call from the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) Kota Kinabalu at 1.45pm. They were informed that a boat that was scheduled to send the reverse osmosis (RO) water supply to the General Operation Force (GOF) post had leaked after hitting a floating log. 'Upon receiving information, the Banggi 45 boat which was patrolling in the nearby area rushed to the scene and discovered the victims off Pulau Batik waters with the help from a pump boat due to shallow water. 'All the victims were found safe and no injury was reported,' he said, in a statement on Monday. According to Dzulfikhar, three victims, a 37-year-old man, Lajim Paisal and his two sons aged 10 and six were taken to Lahad Datu Fishery jetty. Three other victims were waiting for the company's boat to arrive on the island to repair the fibre boat. All three of them arrived safely on land at 2am on Monday. In the meantime, the MMEA reminds all boat operators to ensure that all crew and passengers wear life jackets while operating a boat. This is not only a standard operating procedure, but also an important step to prevent loss of life in the event of an incident. MMEA also called on the public to convey any information on criminal activities or incidents to MMEA operation centre via Whatsapp at 016-9305727 or 999. * 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
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Sandakan MMEA foils RM830k fuel smuggling attempt
SANDAKAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intercepted a smuggling attempt involving diesel, petrol, and gas worth RM830,000 near Tanjung Aru. 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.
