Vietnamese fishing boat, crew detained for ramming MMEA patrol boat

KEMAMAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) seized a Vietnamese fishing boat in the waters off Kuantan yesterday, when it was alleged to have wantonly rammed into an MMEA patrol vessel.
In the incident about 5.20pm at 53 nautical miles east of Kemaman, the bow of the patrol vessel was slightly damaged.
Thanks to its commanding officer and crew, the foreign fishing boat was seized and its skipper and five crewmen arrested to facilitate investigations, said Pahang MMEA deputy director (operations), Maritime Captain V. Pannir Selvan.
Those on board the fishing boat had acted aggressively by ramming into the maritime patrol vessel when it tried to approach the former, he said in a statement here today.
He said the suspects aged between 22 and 58 had neither identification documents nor a fishing licence.
The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Fisheries Act 1985 for fishing in Malaysian waters. — Bernama