LABUAN, July 19 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Labuan has seized a tug boat and a barge suspected of being used for illegal sand dredging activities 2.89 nautical miles off Daat Island on Thursday (July 18).
MMEA director Capt. Izwanhadi Idros said the agency's team was conducting Op Sejahtera and Op Tiris when they identified suspicious vessels engaged in sand dredging around 9 am.
"Upon inspection, the tug boat was found to be manned by Vietnamese and Indian nationals, aged 25, 30, and 43 years old," he said to Bernama today.
He said the inspection revealed the tug boat was not equipped with an official logbook and contract crew agreement, both requirements under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952.
Izwanhadi said consequently, the crew members and skipper are currently detained for further investigation.
"We have towed the tug boat and the barge to the MMEA jetty at Patau-Patau pending the completion of the investigation," Izwanhadi added.
-- BERNAMA
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