TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has seized two local boats for committing various offenses in two separate incidents here.
District MMEA director Shahrizan Raman said that during their operations dubbed as Ops Pluto East 2/2023 and Ops Tiris, the patrol team detected a pump boat engaged in fishing activities around Wallace Bay Waters at 11.40am yesterday.
"Inspection of the seized boat located 1.17 nautical miles northeast of Sidam Island found a 15-year-old male, who admitted he has no identification documents, operating the boat.
"The boat also has no registration number nor a registered boat license," he said in a statement.
On the same day at 6pm, another passenger boat, carrying 100 boxes of carrots, was also seized at a location a nautical mile from the Muara Sg Aji Kuning.
The 37-year-old local male skipper failed to declare the cargo and violated the boat license terms.
Both boats, along with the cargo and all crew members, were subsequently detained and brought to the Tawau Maritime Zone Jetty and handed over to Malaysian Maritime investigating officers for investigation under the Sabah Ports and Wharves Department Enactment (JPDS) 2002, Immigration Act 1956/63, and Customs Act 1967.
All items including both boats and cargo were seized until the investigation process was completed with a total seizure value exceeding RM45,000.