MMEA DETAIN FOUR FOREIGN VESSELS FOR ILLEGAL OIL TRANSFER

JOHOR BAHARU (Johor, Malaysia), Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime
Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained four foreign vessels for illegally
transferring 125,752 litres of oil in Pengerang waters, near Kota Tinggi here on
Saturday.

MMEA southern region operations director Capt Mohd Zubil Mat Som said 52 crew of
the four vessels, comprising 15 from Thailand, Philippines (12), Indonesia (13),
Myanmar (eight) and Netherlands (four), aged between 20 and 59, were also
arrested.

He said the four vessels were spotted by a MMEA patrolling team on KM Manjong at
two locations about 1.8 nautical miles off Tanjung Ayam, Pengerang between 10am
and 5.30pm Saturday, during a special operation.

"Following inspections, we found that the four vessels were conducting illegal
oil transfer, which is an offence under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and
Federation Light Dues Act 1953," he said in statement here Sunday.

He added that the vessels were registered in Kiribati, Bangkok, Freetown (Sierra
Leone) and Rotterdam.