MMEA personnel are seen during the daily routine patrol conducted last Tuesday.
KUCHING: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Kuching district (DM11) director Capt Shahref Steve Mac Queen Abdullah said there were no sign of less crime on the seas despite it being the month of Ramadan.
According to him, crimes at sea involving the encroachment of foreign fishing vessels into the country’s waters are ongoing regardless of time.
Therefore, the MMEA will continue to conduct its daily routine patrols to curb illegal activities that are happening in the state’s waters.
“We are well aware that crimes at sea are ongoing, and there is no crime reduction recorded. We will closely monitor and conduct daily routine patrols at sea to detect and curb such crimes,” he said when met by reporters after a daily routine patrol some 20 nautical miles from the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex (KOMTAS) last Tuesday.
So far, there have been 18 foreign vessels detained and majority of the crews were Vietnamese fishermen.
Commenting further, the captain revealed that patrols were also conducted in international waters involving Beting Patinggi Ali (BPA). As such, patrol duties were shared together with the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM).
“The operations at sea are ongoing regardless of time and place.
“Special operations are conducted from Kuching until Miri in an effort to curb ongoing crimes at sea.
“Despite it being the fasting month, our personnel still observe the holy month and carry out their duties at sea.
“Same goes for the Eid celebration, whereby MMEA will continue to deploy its assets to conducted daily routine patrols at all times.”