MALAYSIA PATROL HOLDS 19 INDONESIAN SEAMEN INVOLVED IN OIL SMUGGLING

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 22 (ANTARA) - The Malaysian maritime security agency has held two Singaporean vessels whose crew included 19 Indonesians and an Indian, suspected of oil smuggling in the Pengerang waters, Kota Tinggi, Johor, Saturday afternoon.

Chief of the South Malaysian maritime law enforcement agency Commodore Che Hassan Jusoh said it had arrested tankers MT City Group and Marina 99 on Saturday afternoon for suspicious movements, Malaysian papers reported.
A maritime patrol boat saw two vessels side by side, and when approached it appeared they were busy transferring oil illegally. When the naval patrol boat approached them, the crew of both vesseld frantically tried to remove the pipeline connecting MT City Group and Marina 99.
An investigation that ensured found that 290,000 liters of Marine Fuel Oil were being transferred illegally from MT City Group to Marina 99. And the sudden removal of the pipeline had caused some of the oil to spill on the sea and caused pollution, Che Hassan said.
The Malaysian maritime authorites therefore held the two vessels including their crew for interrogation and the two vessels were confiscated under Law of 1952 on Merchant Ships.