KOTA KINABALU: Enforcement authorities seized three boats that were found to have violated various maritime laws in waters off Sabah’s east coast Lahad Datu district.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intercepted the vessels in an operation dubbed Ops Pluto between 2.45pm and 3.10pm on Monday (Feb 20).
Lahad Datu MMEA director Commander Nik Mohd Rizam Nik Mohd Fauzi said following their inspections, the boats were found to have breached Fisheries Act 1985 and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Enactment 2002.
Among the offences committed, he said, were unsanctioned modifications made to the boats, carrying out fishing activities too close to the shore and failure to inform the authorities on the change of skippers.
"We also detained seven people aged between 27 and 71 who comprised three local men and four Filipinos," he said, in a statement here on Tuesday (Feb 21).
He added that the detainees had been handed over to their district office for further investigations.
Towards this end, Nik Mohd said the Lahad Datu MMEA would beef up its patrols and enforcement efforts from time to time in order to curb maritime offences and criminal activities in the Lahad Datu waters.
He urged the public, particularly the maritime community to cooperate with the agency by providing information or channelling their complaints to the Lahad Datu MMEA by calling the 24-hour line 089-885727 or contacting the Malaysian Emergency Response Services 999 number.
