KEMAMAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intercepted a trawler with four Vietnamese crew about 14 nautical miles from Pulau Aur, here, on Thursday.
Following a tip-off from a local fisherman, the MMEA team rushed to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and detained the trawler and crew at 8.30pm.
East Coast MMEA director First Admiral Maritime Zulkarnain Mohd Omar said the four crews, including a skipper, aged between 18 and 43, did not posses valid travel documents and failed to produce a valid permit to fish within the Malaysian waters.
“They were caught red handed. We seized about 1,000kg of fish, 50 kg of squids and 20,000 litres of diesel as well as fishing equipment worth RM1.5 million from the boat," he said.
Zulkarnain said the trawler had been towed to the Kemaman MMEA base for further investigation under the Fishery Act 1985 and the Immigration Act 1958.