GEORGE TOWN: Maritime authorities here detained a Singapore-registered oil tanker 26 nautical miles north of Penang island yesterday after it was found to have been anchored in Malaysian waters without permission.
A Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) enforcement team detained the Ocean Gull at noon yesterday.
State MMEA director Hamizan Harun said the vessel carried 20 crew members, including Bangladeshi, Chinese, Myanmar and Indonesian nationals.
He said foreign-flagged ships are required to notify the state marine director before anchoring, and they would usually engage shipping agents to inform the local authorities.
In this case, Hamizan said, they did not notify the Marine Department or through a third-party agent.
He said those found guilty of flouting the law under the Shipping Merchants Ordinance 1952 face a RM100,000 fine or a jail term of two years or both.