KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained 4,401 people in the country’s waters since 2023 in its fight against cross-border crime, with illegal fishing remaining one of its biggest threats.
The agency also carried out about 720,000 inspections and 161 searches over the same period, said the agency’s principal assistant director Commander Mohd Khairul Azhar Ishak.
He said more than 3,100 of those detained were involved in illegal fishing, smuggling and the entry of illegal immigrants.
“Over the MMEA’s 21-year history, illegal fishing has remained one of the main threats, involving both unlicensed local fishermen who are unfamiliar with the regulations and foreign fishermen.”
Mohd Khairul said the success of MMEA operations depended heavily on the maritime community, particularly fishermen, who served as the agency’s “eyes and ears” at sea, Bernama reported.
He urged them to pass information on suspicious activities to the MMEA, including the location and time of incidents and details of the boats involved.
He advised them not to take matters into their own hands as this could put their safety at risk.
“The Sahabat Maritim programme has been implemented nationwide to strengthen ties between the MMEA and the maritime community.
“As they are at sea almost every day, they are often more familiar with the waters than MMEA personnel themselves,” he said.
On assets, Mohd Khairul said the MMEA would acquire two multi-purpose mission ships from Turkiye, allowing it to operate further out in national waters for longer periods.
He said the agency has also received an AW189 helicopter for nationwide deployment and is finalising the procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles to boost surveillance.
MMEA, through the Home Ministry, is also planning to buy coastal radar systems for several strategic areas, particularly in Sarawak and on the east coast of the peninsula, he said.
He said the radars could detect vessel movements 50 to 60 nautical miles away, allowing the agency to spot suspicious activity early and send assets out faster.
