BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): Four men were fined by the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday after pleading guilty to entering a restricted safety zone around an offshore installation to go fishing.
Magistrate Syarifah Nur Baqiyah Malai Shahran fined local Sheikh Mohammed Furhan Hassan Nuri, 31, BND5,500, in default of five months’ imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammad Faisal Hassan Noori, 35, Sheikh Mohammad Hassan Jahangir, 30, and permanent resident Asmali Haji Ali Hassan, 49, were each fined BND3,000, in default of three months’ imprisonment.
The defendants entered a restricted 500-metre safety zone around the offshore installation SKWJ-01, aboard a fiberglass fishing boat named “ALADDIN.” This entry violated Section 132(6) of the Merchant Shipping Order, 2002.
Prosecutor Atikah Husaini said the Royal Brunei Air Force’s Unmanned Aerial Surveillance drone detected the defendants’ boat within the safety zone and alerted the Marine Police, Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Fisheries Department, and Internal Security Department.
Upon arrival, authorities observed the defendants tying their boat to one of the metal poles of the installation. Once the defendants spotted the approaching patrol, they untied the boat and fled north.
A chase ensued, and the authorities intercepted the boat around five kilometres away from the installation. The defendants were arrested and taken to the Marine Police Headquarters along with the boat.
Investigations revealed that the defendants had set off from Jerudong Beach to fish around the offshore installation.
The boat, piloted by Sheikh Mohammed Furhan, was found carrying approximately 80.5 kilogrammes of fish and fishing equipment, which were confiscated by police.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam confirmed that the boat and its engine were in good condition.
The prosecutor also noted that all four defendants were first-time offenders under the Merchant Shipping Order, 2002. – Borneo Bulletin/ANN
