Two Indonesian trawlers detained

GEORGE TOWN: It does not pay to fish illegally in Malaysian waters as two Indonesian trawlers found out after being detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Sunday.
MMEA District Two First Admiral Kamaruszaman Abu Hassan said the two boats were caught some 51 nautical miles off the Pulau Kendi coast about 8am.
He said two "tekong" (captain) and eight fishermen between the ages of 22 and 40 were detained during the operation.
He said all of them failed to show proper identification documents but admitted they were from Medan and Langkat, Indonesia.
"We also seized 150kg of catch and fishing equipment," he said in a statement adding the boats have been towed to the Batu Maung jetty for further action.
The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 for fishing without permission from the Malaysia Fisheries Department.
Captains who are convicted face a maximum fine of RM1million and RM100,000 for each crew member.
The MMEA force here has detained 23 foreign fishing vessels since January this year.