KOTA KINABALU: A boat skipper’s bid to evade arrest by jumping into the sea was foiled when maritime officials managed to swim after him in Tawau district.
The 32-year-old skipper, who turned out to be an undocumented Indonesian, was nabbed together with 12 others on the boat in an operation on Tuesday morning.
Tawau Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Capt Shahrizan Raman said prior to the arrest, MMEA officials were conducting patrols when they noticed a speeding boat near the Tawau CIQ jetty.
“We noticed the passenger boat at around 10.30am and when our men approached, it started speeding away,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Shahrizan said the skipper stopped the boat and jumped into the sea when MMEA officials instructed him to stop for an inspection.
Members of the public are urged to call 089-752 116 or the 999 emergency number if they see or suspect any wrongdoing at sea.
