A boat skipper and three Myanmar nationals were detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) after their vessel was found operating outside Malaysia’s authorised fishing waters without permission on Wednesday.
Selangor Maritime Director Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the vessel was intercepted at about 5.30pm by an MMEA asset during routine patrols, located 15.3 nautical miles southwest of Pulau Tengah.
He said initial checks found the boat was operated by a skipper and three crew members aged between 25 and 46.
General maritime enforcement operations often involve routine patrols and monitoring systems to prevent illegal fishing activities in national waters, ensuring compliance with fisheries regulations.
“Further verification showed that the skipper and one crew member possessed valid identification documents, while the remaining two failed to produce any form of identification,” he said.
He added that none of them had valid work permits or authorisation to work on board the vessel.
The boat was also confirmed to have operated outside Malaysia’s designated fishing zone without approval from the Director-General of Fisheries Malaysia.
MMEA said data from the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) further supported the findings that the vessel had breached fishing boundaries.
The crew, along with the vessel and an estimated 500kg of fish catch, were escorted to the Marine Police Jetty in Pulau Indah for further action.
The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 for violating licence conditions, employing foreign workers without approval, and fishing outside permitted waters, as well as under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for undocumented crew members.
MMEA reiterated its commitment to strengthening maritime enforcement and urged the public to report suspicious activities at sea via emergency hotline 999 or the Selangor Maritime Operations Centre.
