KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities detained two tankers and arrested 22 crew members over an alleged illegal diesel transfer off Penang over the weekend.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the vessels were suspected of conducting an unauthorised ship-to-ship transfer involving about 700,000 litres of diesel.
Penang MMEA director Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli said the operation followed an intelligence tip-off on ships anchored off Bagan Ajam on Saturday, April 11.
He said inspections found both vessels in a coupled link and believed to be engaged in illicit oil transfer activities.
The total quantity seized was estimated at 800,000 litres of Euro 5 diesel worth about RM5.43 million.
Authorities detained 22 crew members comprising Malaysian, Myanmar, Russian, Philippine and Indonesian nationals.
The MMEA did not specify the origin of the tankers or fuel, nor its intended destination.
The enforcement comes amid a wider crackdown on fuel smuggling linked to regional supply disruptions following the war in the Middle East.
Malaysian waters have been a known site for such transfers aimed at obscuring fuel origins, with authorities tightening enforcement since July last year.
In February, Penang MMEA detained two tankers over a similar crude oil transfer, though the vessels were later released on bond pending further investigations.
