KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a cargo vessel suspected of transporting tin ore worth RM3.7mil in east Johor waters.
MMEA Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone director Capt Mohammad Othman said the boat, which came from Indonesia, was intercepted 1.5 nautical miles (about 2.7km) northeast of Tanjung Punggai at 4.45am on Wednesday (Oct 1).
“Four Indonesian crew members, including the skipper, aged 26 to 55, were on board.
“They were transporting 530 gunny sacks of suspected tin ore weighing nearly 26,500kg,” he said in a statement.
He added that the suspects, vessel and its cargo were detained for further action under the Customs Act 1967 for attempting to import or export non-dutiable goods, and under the Immigration Act 1963 for possessing questionable identification documents.
The agency urged the public to report any suspicious maritime activities via the 999 emergency line or the Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone operations centre at 07-8916591.
