MERSING: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained the captain of a foreign sailboat for illegally entering the waters off Sungai Mersing.

       Mersing MMEA director Commander Maritime Khairul Nizam Misran said the sailboat was detained at around 12.45pm on Thursday at 1.6 nautical miles (2.96km) east of the Sungai Mersing estuary.

       He said the 44-year-old French national was detained during Ops Jaksa for illegal entry into the country, and for failing to produce travel documents with permission to enter Malaysia.

       “The suspect also failed to register his arrival with the Immigration Department,” Khairul Nizam said in a statement.