PASIR PUTEH (Kelantan, Malaysia), Dec 25 (NNN-Bernama) — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two Vietnamese fishing boats for encroaching and carrying out fishing activities in the state of Kelantan waters at a distance of approximately 46.3 and 48.8 nautical miles from the Tok Bali estuary, here on Wednesday.
Kelantan Deputy Director of Maritime Operations Maritime Commander Khairun Dalilah Baharin said the first boat was detected at 1.25 pm with 18 crew members including the skipper, while the second boat with five crew members including the skipper was detected at 2 pm.
“Inspections found that the two boats did not have permits to fish under the Fisheries Act 1985.
“All 23 crew members from the two boats are Vietnamese citizens between the ages of 18 and 47 and do not have any valid identity documents,” she said at a press conference, here, Friday, adding that all the suspects tested negative for COVID-19.
Khairun Dalilah said they also seized two boats, about 1,000 kilogrammes of fish, fishing equipment and 1,700 litres of diesel supply with a total value of about RM3 million (US$715,138)
— NNN-BERNAMA