MIRI: In a decisive enforcement action yesterday (June 4) morning, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) arrested a passenger boat carrying five live buffaloes without the necessary permits.
The vessel was detained 3.1 nautical miles south of Tanjung Perapat for violating Section 9 (1) and (3) of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance (VPHO) 1999, which mandates permits for livestock transfer to Sarawak.
The boat was intercepted around 10.45 am by Miri MMEA patrol boats during operations Op Permai 01/2019 and Op Tiris 3.0 in the waters off Lawas.
Maritime captain Mohd Khairol Anuar Saad, director of the MMEA Miri zone, confirmed the arrest.
The inspection revealed that the boat was operated by a tekong (master) and two crew members, all of whom were locals.
Following the detention, the passenger boat and its crew were escorted to the Lawas District Office jetty.
The buffaloes and the crew members were handed over to the Sarawak Veterinary Department for further action.
Khairol Anuar reiterated Maritim Malaysia’s commitment to upholding maritime laws within the Malaysian maritime zone, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy towards any breaches.
The agency has urged the public to report any information, complaints, or emergencies at sea by contacting the Malaysian Emergency Response Services (MERS) at 999.
Alternatively, the Miri maritime zone operations centre can be reached at 085-418204, and the Sarawak Maritime operations centre at 082-432544 or 082-432016 for immediate assistance.
