PORT KLANG: The Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained a passenger boat for carrying over 640 litres of petrol without a permit.
Selangor MMEA director Maritime Captain Siva Kumar Vengadasalam said the boat was detained at around 11.45am on Monday (Jan 16).
"The boat was detained during routine patrols about 0.2 nautical miles north of Pulau Indah, Klang.
"Our checks revealed the boat was registered to carry passengers and was operated by two locals aged 46 and 49," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 17).
He said they found 26 jerry-cans which contained over 640 litres of petrol in the back of the boat.
"The petrol is estimated to be worth at least RM1,300.
"Further investigations revealed that the duo bought the fuel from a petrol station in Port Klang and were headed to Pulau Ketam," he said, adding that the boat and crew were taken to the Pulau Indah Marine Police Jetty for further investigation.
He said the case was being investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for suspicion of misusing a boat licence and the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 for carrying controlled goods without proper permits.
"The MMEA takes any misconduct at sea seriously and will take strict action against any party that engages in criminal activities in Malaysia's maritime zone.
"Any complaints and information regarding maritime criminal activities and emergencies at sea can be reported to the Selangor Maritime Operations Centre at 03-31760627 or MERS 999 for immediate response," he said.
