Acting deputy director-general Maritime Rear Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah Mohd Zawawi Abdullah (centre) with Australian Border Force (ABF) counsellor at the Australian Embassy, Supt Brooke Leung (Left) and Selangor MMEA director Maritime Capt Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh. - Photo: Bernama
KLANG: The crime rate in the nation's waters is witnessing a promising decline, courtesy of the ongoing operations and global collaborations conducted by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
Acting deputy director-general Maritime Rear Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said this trend is evident from the recent decrease in detention cases associated with migrant smuggling.
He adds that cases under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) saw a significant reduction from 13 cases in 2022 to just four in 2023.
"Over the course of this year, the MMEA prevented 64 cases involving illegal immigrants, with 249 individuals detained,” he said at a press conference following the closure of Ops Redback 19/2024 between the MMEA and Australian Border Force (ABF) on Thursday (Dec 5).
The press conference was also attended by Australian High Commission ABF counsellor Supt Brooke Leung and Selangor MMEA director Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh.
Mohd Zawawi revealed that a total of 60 inspections were conducted on all types of ships in the country's waters, and one detention was made under the Fisheries Act 1985, which forbids fishing in inshore waters within five nautical miles from the coast.
He mentioned that the operation also included dialogue sessions with the maritime community at two locations, namely Kampung Kelanang and Kompleks Agrotourism Persatuan Nelayan Kawasan (PNK) in Sepang, Selangor.
"Through these dialogue sessions, we can bolster cooperation with the maritime community, hence simplifying the MMEA's task of obtaining the latest information, especially those related to cross-border crimes,” he said.
The operation is an outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the governments of Malaysia and Australia in 2011, that also involved intelligence and information sharing about criminal tactics and modus operandi in the waters between both nations.
Ops Redback 19, initiated since Monday (Dec 2), involves the enforcement of up to 118 nautical miles in Selangor waters from Sabak Bernam to Kuala Sepang.
Mohd Zawawi also said that the MMEA is prepared to conduct operations to curb the smuggling of vape or electronic cigarettes following the government's move to tighten the sale of the product.
"With stricter law enforcement, vape cannot be sold openly and freely. We do not exclude the possibility that vape will be smuggled in via sea routes... the MMEA is ready to tackle this,” he said. – Bernama
