KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two tourist boats for carrying passengers beyond the allowed limit and neglecting safety aspects here at 4.30pm yesterday.
Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan MMEA director Maritime First Admiral Datuk Engku Suhaimi Che Engku Daik said the boats were detained during a maritime patrol operation codenamed 'Preventive Search and Rescue' about 0.18 nautical miles west of the Jesselton Jetty.
"Upon inspection of the first boat, it was found that the boat, operated by a local man, was carrying passengers beyond the permitted limit. The second detained boat was found to be operating without safety equipment and crew.
"Both boats and their skippers were escorted to the Sabah Maritime jetty in Sepanggar for further action," he said in a statement today.
He urged all passenger boat operators to prioritise safety aspects when carrying passengers to the islands around the waters of Sabah to prevent untoward incidents.– BERNAMA