MIRI – The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), here, has seized an oil-tanker off the coast for suspected diesel-smuggling.
MMEA Miri enforcement chief Cdr Eizanizam Muhammad said the seizure was made at 2.35am today about 1.7 nautical miles off Miri.
In a press statement today, Eizanizam said the enforcement team discovered 90,000 litres of diesel onboard the tanker, believed to be cargo smuggled out of Sarawak.
“Our patrol boat discovered the tanker – believed to be used for suspicious activities – during surveillance.
“Once onboard the vessel, our patrol team found four men on board, including the skipper, who were later all identified as Indonesians aged between 23 and 51.
“Further checks revealed the diesel cargo was worth roughly RM1.5 million,” he said.
The patrol team found that the crew had neither proper documents nor permit to transport the diesel.
He said the tanker was subsequently towed to the MMEA Miri jetty here, while the suspects were taken into custody for further investigation.
“A probe is being conducted to determine the source of the diesel and where it was being smuggled to,” he added. – The Vibes, January 10, 2022
