Fishing vessel with 11,000 litres of subsidised diesel intercepted
A fishing vessel laden with 11,000 litres of subsidised diesel was intercepted by the Maritime Enforcement Agency ( MMEA) Sarawak at about 11 nautical miles off Tanjung Po on Sept 4.
The diesel, worth RM13,200, was found inside a modified compartment that was originally meant for storing fish.
Three Indonesians manning the boat were detained during the routine patrol check.
Kuching Maritime district director (Operations) Commander Shahref Steve Mac Queen Abdullah said this was their first case this year involving the seizure of subsidised diesel.
He said it had not been established yet where the boat was heading, although their hunch was to smuggle it abroad.
“This vessel is locally owned as it is registered in Kuching,” he told reporters at the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex jetty at Muara Tebas, where the vessel is berthed.
He said the vessel was licensed for fishing activities; thus, it might have violated the Fisheries Act 1985 for carrying cargo (subsidised diesel) without authority.
Shahref said his men were still investigating the case, and it could be transferred to the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism (MDTCC) later.
Meanwhile, MMEA Sarawak registered 59 arrest cases this year, including two this month. Kuching Maritime District registered 31 cases, Miri (23), and Bintulu (five).
Last year, there were 44 such cases in the state, which is a 57 per cent drop from the 103 arrest cases registered in 2012.
Since 2006, the highest number of cases was recorded in 2010 with 188 cases, followed by 2009 (136 cases) and 2011 (117 cases).
MMEA Sarawak has conducted 2,403 patrol checks thus far this year.
As for Search and Rescue operations, Maritime Sarawak recorded 17 cases this year.
The agency responded to three distress alarm calls, two Medevac (medical evacuation) operations, three involving vessel or boat breakdown, four cases of M.O. B (man overboard), two capsized cases, one case of missing person at sea, and two cases involving vessel hijack or robbery.