GEORGE TOWN (Malaysia), Dec 18 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian authorities detained two boats with 11 foreign fishermen on board who did not possess any personal travel documents, during an inspection at Kendi Island off the southwest coast of Penang Island on Friday.
Penang Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Director Capt Abd Razak Mohamed said the Maritime patrol vessel which was conducting an operation, first detained a class C fishing boat belonging to a local, 71 nautical miles west of Kendi Island at 1.50 pm.
“Inspections found that the local fishing boat was operated by six fishermen from Myanmar and that all of them aged 35 to 50 did not have any identification documents nor valid work permits,” he said in a statement Sunday.
Meanwhile, he said an Indonesian fishing boat was detained 19.8 nautical miles southwest of Kendi Island at 7.20 pm, and an inspection found six Indonesian men on the boat.
He said the boat was based in Tanjung Balai, Indonesia, and all the fishermen aged 13 to 30 failed to present their identification documents and valid fishing permits in Malaysian waters.
Abd Razak said all 11 foreign fishermen were detained for further investigation, while the boats and catch were also seized.
— NNN-BERNAMA