Operation to curb sea robberies begins

PUTRAJAYA: An operation to fight sea robberies involving liquefied petroleum cargo will start today in the southern region waters of Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Johor, according to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

Its director-general, Maritime Admiral Datuk Zulkifli Abu Bakar, said the two-week ‘Ops Padu’ would see deployment of personnel from the MMEA, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Marine Police Force (PPM).

“The ‘Ops Padu’ will allow each enforcement asset to involve officers from other agencies. For example, if the assets of RMN are used, an officer of MMEA and a marine police officer will be assigned together during the operation.

“If the assets of marine police are used, a officer of MMEA and a RMN officer will be assigned together during the operation. Likewise if maritime assets are used,” he said at the launch of the operation yesterday.

Also present at the event were Deputy Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Datuk Anuwi Hassan and Bukit Aman Marine Police Force commander Datuk Abdul Rahim Abdullah.

Zulkifli said ‘Ops Padu’ was being launched after pirates robbed a Thai company oil tanker of 1.5 million litres of the 3.8 million litres of diesel it was transporting on June 23 in the waters off Pahang.

He said robbers targeted diesel cargo probably to meet the black market demand for the fuel. - Bernama