KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a tugboat suspected of smuggling diesel in the waters off Kemaman port yesterday.
MMEA (Eastern Region) director, First Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Mamu Said Alee said the Indonesian registered vessel, “Baguio” was intercepted at 7.20pm, about 3.4 nautical miles from Kuala Kemaman during a special operation, following a tip-off.
He said the ship’s captain, along with two crewmen aged between 34 and 40, were nabbed when they failed to produce valid documents on the boat licence, discharge declarations from the port of origin and Malaysia, and their passports.
“The boat was also suspected to be involved in diesel smuggling and detained under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) Act 1952 and Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155). “The MMEA is issuing a warning that action will be taken against supplier boats believed to be selling diesel to illegal buyers off Kemaman,” he said in a statement today.
Mamu Said added that most of the vessels were being chartered by oil and gas companies for gas exploration activities around the oil rigs off the East Coast. He urged companies involved in oil exploration to monitor these chartered boats from time to time to curb illegal fuel sales.
