LABUAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained an oil tanker vessel carrying 30,000 litres of diesel approximately 8.6 nautical miles off northern Labuan on Monday (Aug 12).
MMEA Labuan director Capt (Maritime) Izwanhadi Idros said the tanker was intercepted during a routine patrol under Op Sejahtera 1/2022 and Op Tiris 3.0 at around 2 pm.
“The vessel, manned by an Indonesian chief officer, 37, Indonesian chief engineer, 29, and seven additional Indonesian crew members, was found to be operating without a valid fuel purchase invoice, which is a violation of the Petroleum Act 1984,” he told Bernama today.
The crew members were discovered to be in possession of dubious travel documents upon inspection, he added.
“All nine individuals, including the chief officer and engineer, have been detained under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for further investigation,” he said, adding that the vessel has been towed to the MMEA jetty at Patau-Patau for continued inquiries into the matter.
“The incident underscores the ongoing vigilance of the MMEA in safeguarding Malaysian waters against illegal activities,” he said.
