KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained a tanker and a trawler for illegally anchoring in eastern Johor waters and trawling off Tanjung Sedili Kechil and Tanjung Sedili Besar here.

       Johor MMEA director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said that the first arrest involved a Sierra Leone-registered tanker at about 1.40pm on Wednesday (June 30) around 16.8 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili Kechil.

       The second arrest was conducted on a local-registered trawler on the same day at about 3.45pm, 22.6 nautical miles from Tanjung Sedili Besar.

       “The tanker has seven Indonesian crewmen aged between 36 and 54, travelling with valid documents.

       “However, the ship captain has failed to provide documents allowing them to anchor in Malaysian waters,” he said in a statement here on Thursday (July 1).

       He added that the act is an offence under Section 49B(1) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for anchoring without permission from the Marine Department.

       The offence carries a fine of not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment of not more than two years or both upon conviction.

       As for the trawler, it has four Indonesian crewmen aged between 20 and 44 with valid travelling permits.

       “However, the ship had trawled not less than 30 nautical miles from the shore which is an offence under the Fisheries Act 1985 for conducting fishing activities that contravene the licence issued by the department,” he said

       All the ship’s crew have been brought to the Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone to help with investigations.