Boat crew held, diesel seized over illegal STS fuel transfer
MIRI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency ( MMEA) seized 51,000 litres of diesel worth RM91,800 and detained 12 crew members for carrying out illegal ship-to-ship (STS) fuel transfer.
MMEA Miri chief, Capt Mohamad Fauzi Othman in a statement yesterday said the seizure and arrests were made about 7.4 nautical miles off Tanjung Kuala Baram early Sunday.
“Acting on information from our intelligence unit, a patrol team was dispatched to the location and detected two vessels carrying out STS fuel transfer.
“Checks showed both vessels were conducting the activity without any licence,” he said.
Of the 12 crewmen, Mohamad Fauzi said eight of them were locals while the others were Indonesians, adding all of them possessed valid identification documents.
Even so, he said they were detained for further investigation under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for failing to inform the Marine Department director of ship-to-ship activity.