SEMPORNA: Two suspected fish-bombers jumped into the sea off Bait island here to avoid being arrested by the authorities.
During the 9am incident yesterday (July 22), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) found the duo using explosives to catch fish during a routine patrol.
Semporna MMEA director maritime commander Norrimi Hassan said during the patrol, the MMEA team heard loud sounds and traced the source of the noise to a pump boat.
He added that the team went after the duo, who jumped out of their boat into shallow waters before running into a mangrove forest near the island.
"Inspections showed that the boat had explosives materials and three kilogrammes of fish which were believed to have been bombed," he said in a statement.
The boat and fish, valued at RM5,000 in total, were seized and brought to the Semporna Azumi Camp Jetty for further action under the Fisheries Act 1985.