Terengganu MMEA director Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli said officers patrolling the area onboard the KM Langkawi managed to detain the boats at 93 and 118 nautical miles northeast of Kuala Terengganu at 4pm yesterday.

“Checks conducted on the two boats found that 16 crew members, including the skippers, aged 18 to 62, did not have any valid identification documents or any licence to fish in the country’s waters.

“Two boats, fishing gear, the catch and the diesel supply worth RM3 million were also seized. They are also suspected of using fake registration numbers,” he said in a statement today.

Suffi said all fishermen were taken for Covid-19 swab tests before being detained, with the case being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 and Immigration Act 1959/63.

He also urged members of the community, especially local fishermen, to report any suspicious activities in the country’s waters by calling the MERS 999 hotline or the Terengganu state maritime operations centre at 09-6224357.