MIRI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained a suspicious looking oil transporter in Miri waters about 20 nautical miles northwest of Kuala Sibuti.
Its director, Maritime Captain Md Fauzi Othman said the vessel was detained by MMEA assets patrolling around the area as part of Ops Permai at about 8am last Saturday.
“Upon inspection, the vessel was found to have committed several offences, including failing to submit any documents except for its ship registry, no Domestic Ship License (DSL), no port clearance and no Form C,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Mar 21).
He said the vessel was reportedly on a voyage to Bintulu and was manned by three crew members, including the captain, who were all Indonesians between the ages of 31 and 34, all with valid identification documents.
“All the crew, ship and an estimated 15,000 litres of diesel worth approximately RM33,000.00 were detained and escorted to the Miri Maritime Zone Vessel Detention Centre Jetty for further investigation.
“The case will be investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, the Customs Act 1967 and the Petroleum (Safety Measures) Act 1984,” he added.
He urged the maritime community, especially fishermen to always abide by the law and the legal conditions of their licences and prioritise safety when at sea by always wearing safety jackets.
