Selangor MMEA detains fishing vessel off Sekinchan for attempting to smuggle a migrant out of Malaysia via an illegal maritime route.
SELANGOR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has detained a local fishing vessel for attempting to smuggle a migrant out of the country.
The vessel was intercepted about 2.5 nautical miles west of Sekinchan early yesterday following intelligence operations.
Its director, Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh, said the detention was due to suspicious movements breaching licence conditions.
“Initial inspection found the vessel was operated by a skipper and three crew members aged between 28 and 61, all Indonesian nationals,” he said.
Preliminary checks revealed all individuals on board failed to produce valid identification documents.
Further inspection uncovered a man suspected to be an undocumented migrant.
Evidence indicated an attempted illegal exit via a non-gazetted maritime route.
The skipper, crew, migrant and seized items were taken to the Marine Police Jetty in Pulau Indah.
The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985, the Immigration Act 1959/63 and ATIPSOM 2007.
