Two ships transferring fuel illegally detained

KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two ships on Monday for allegedly illegally transferring fuel in Pengerang waters.
Mt Vitology was allegedly caught transferring 80,000 litres of marine gas oil (MGO) to Mt An Phu at 3pm at 2.3 nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Ayam, Pengerang.
The MMEA found that the tankers did not have permits or documents allowing for the fuel transfer.
Tanjung Sedili chief enforcement officer Maritime Captain Amran Daud said they also detained 16 crew members of whom seven are Indonesians and nine Vietnamese.
Mt Vitology, registered in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, was manned by the seven Indonesian crew members and the Mt An Phu, which did not have any document, by the nine Vietnamese crew members.
The crew on both ships were aged between 40 and 51 years.
Meanwhile another vessel Mt Golden Prosperity, with four Indonesian crew members, aged 22 to 52, was detained 2.4 nautical miles off southeast Tanjung Ayam for illegally anchoring in Pengerang waters.
This is the 12th vessel caught illegally anchoring by the MMEA so far for this year.