KOTA KINABALU: A fishing vessel operating illegally near the shore was detected after Sabah Maritime’s Sea Surveillance System (Swasla) triggered an alert, leading to the arrest of seven people.
The suspects – a Malaysian, four Indonesians and two with dubious documentation – were on board the vessel during the operation late Friday.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director for Sabah and Labuan, Maritime First Admiral Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid @ Razali, said Swasla initially detected movements believed to be those of a tugboat in the waters off Tanjung Tombongan.
“The signal showed movements about 1.86 nautical miles from the shore, whereas fishing vessels are only allowed to operate at least three nautical miles from the coastline,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Mohd Khairulanuar said inspections were carried out on the vessel and its crew, aged between 20 and 60.
The suspects, vessel and catch were then brought to the maritime jetty for further investigation, he added.
Mohd Khairulanuar said the suspects will be investigated under various laws, including the Fisheries Act and Immigration Act.
“All seized items are estimated to be worth around RM450,000,” he said, adding that the agency will continue its operations to curb crimes at sea and safeguard Sabah’s maritime resources.
He urged those with information on suspicious maritime activities to contact the agency’s operations centre at 088-387 774 or the 999 emergency line.
