LAHAD DATU: Two fishing vessels were detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for breaching licence terms off Pulau Tabawan waters on Friday.
Lahad Datu Maritime Zone Director Maritime Commander Dzulfikhar Ali said the vessels were caught separately during Op Pluto Timur and Op Tiris about 0.48 nautical miles south of Kampung Desa Bajau around 5pm.
The first vessel was operated by a 43-year-old Filipino and the second by three Filipinos aged between 16 and 30, with all crew members possessing valid identification documents.
Both vessels were found fishing within prohibited areas less than 1.5 nautical miles from shore and had also failed to report a change of skipper as required under the Fisheries Act 1985 and Sabah Port and Harbour Department regulations.
The vessels, their crew and catches were taken to the Lahad Datu Maritime Jetty for further investigation, with authorities warning that strict action would be taken against future licence violations.
