KUALA TERENGGANU: State Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) officers seized two Vietnamese fishing trawlers and detained its crew during 'Ops Perkasa and Ops Marikh’ near Kuala Terengganu waters.
Terengganu (DM9) MMEA Department director Captain Maritime Rahim Ramli said both boats were stopped because its crew were fishing illegally.
He said both trawlers were found about 100 nautical miles from the Kuala Terengganu river estuary with the first boat spotted by the enforcement team at 6.20am on Oct 2.
"Thirteen Vietnamese crew members including a tekong were without valid travel documents. They also failed to produce a valid licence for fishing in our waters," he told reporters at the Kuala Terengganu MMEA head office in Pulau Kambing today.
He said the second boat with five crew members, including a tekong, did not possess valid documents and licence were captured about an hour later on the same day.
Rahim said his men received a tip-off from a local fisherman about the trawlers before catching the intruders red-handed.
"They tried to avoid enforcement officers by cutting the fishing nets and moving their boats away, but our men managed to block them in a short chase," he added.
He said that five tonnes of trash fish, 100kg of various fish, 22,000 litres of diesel and fishing gear worth RM3 million were seized.
All 18 Vietnamese crew members aged between 16 and 60, will be referred to the Immigration Department for further action.
The case was being investigated under the Fishery Act 1985, the Immigration Act 1952 and the Merchandise Shipping Ordinance 1952.