MMEA Nabs 38 Vietnamese Fishermen In Malaysia's Terengganu Waters

KUALA TERENGGANU (Terengganu, Malaysia), Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two Vietnamese fishing boats with 38 crew members including the skippers for conducting fishing activities in Terengganu waters on Tuesday. Its director, Maritime Captain Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli said the boats were detained between 130 and 132 nautical miles from here from 2.30 to 3.30 pm during Op Kuda Laut by the Maritime Ship (KM) Gemia. He said the crew and skippers, aged from 15 to 70 years, did not have any valid personal identification documents on them. “Based on their catch, it is believed that they had just entered Malaysian waters when nabbed,’’ he told a media conference at the Terengganu Maritime Headquarters here, Thursday. Terengganu is an east coast state of Malaysia. “A crewman on one of the boats resorted to cutting the fishing net in an attempt to escape but MMEA personnel thwarted the attempt. “They were all detained and escorted to the Kuala Terengganu Maritime jetty for COVID-19 screening tests and the detention process,’’ he said. Muhammad Sufi said also seized were 300 kilogrammes of marine catch, 3,000 litres of diesel, fishing equipment and boats, all worth US$742,731 (RM3 million). -- BERNAMA