LABUAN: Two suspected illegal immigrants fishing around Pulau Tiga with two pump boats were nabbed by Labuan marine police on Saturday morning.
The arrest at 10.30am was made during “Op Gelora Khas”, as part of authorities’ efforts to wipe out illegal fish bombings, cross-border crimes and illegal fishing and smuggling activities in Sabah and Labuan.
Region 4 (Sabah) Marine Police commander Asst Comm Mohamed Pajeri Ali said the focus of the operation was to check on pump boats (small boats fitted with water pumps as engines), used as a mode for sea transport by villagers on the islands and non-citizens in the duty-free-island that borders Sabah and Sarawak for fishing activities.
He said they seized the unregistered pump boats and the undocumented immigrants to be referred to Immigration Department for further questioning.
Pajeri said the two immigrants aged 25 and 35 years old were also found to have flouted Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960 and Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The operation comes after the July 5 incident where a local dive instructor and two China tourists were killed by a blast from a fish bomb at a diving site off Pulau Kalapuan in Semporna.
The men arrested and the boats seized worth RM8, 440 were brought back to the Sabah Ports and Harbour Department base in Menumbok for further action.
“We will be continuing our action to wipe out illegal activities in Sabah and Labuan waters,” Pajeri said.
Since the deaths of the three divers, believed to be the first case of recreational divers killed from blasting activities, both the marine police and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) have stepped up operations statewide and in Labuan waters. — Bernama
