KOTA KINABALU: Three men were arrested by the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for failing to comply with regulations on transporting hazardous petroleum products in Tawau waters on Monday (Jan 20) night.
The suspects, aged between 33 and 45 years old, were aboard a vessel en route from Tanjung Batu to Sebatik waters when it was intercepted at 8:30pm during an MMEA patrol under Ops Pluto Timur and Ops Tiris operations.
Tawau maritime zone director Captain Shahrizan Raman said the operation was also based on a public tip-off.
“Upon inspection, we found 10,600l of petrol and diesel stored in drum containers, along with 411 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
"The vessel, which supplies subsidised goods to Sebatik Island, was carrying cargo worth an estimated RM136,000.
“Documentation checks revealed that they had violated regulations by neglecting safety measures while transporting petroleum and LPG cylinders,” he said.
The cargo vessel was escorted to the Tawau Maritime Zone Jetty and handed over to MMEA’s investigating officer for further investigation under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952.
Shahrizan urged anyone with information on criminal activities in Tawau waters to contact the Tawau Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 089-752 116 or the emergency line 999 for immediate assistance.