PASIR PUTEH: Five Vietnamese fishermen were detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in waters off Kelantan yesterday for illegal catching of sea cucumbers.
Kelantan MMEA director Captain Muhd Nur Syam Asmawie Yaacob said with their arrest, the agency also seized about 250 kg of sea cucumbers, a boat and some fishing equipment.
The activity by the five Vietnamese fishermen, aged between 40 and 49, was detected at about 54 nautical miles off Tok Bali at about 10.15 am yesterday by Bot Kilat 28 during an operation, he told a media conference at his office in Tok Bali here today.
He said yesterdayâs arrest was the 49th under the operation, bringing the total number of arrest to 544 individuals, with most of them Vietnamese. -Bernama
