[ashleyjoseph]

Saturday November 6, 2010

Eight vessels detained for shipping offences

JOHOR BARU: Eight vessels were detained by the maritime enforcement unit early this month for illegal oil transfer activities and other shipping offences off the Pengerang coastline. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency southern region enforcement chief Laksamana Pertama Zulkifli Abu Bakar said the vessels were detained in a two-day operation on Nov 2 and 3.

He said more than 30 crew members were detained. Laksamana Zulkifli said two of the vessels, from Basseterre in the West Indies and China, were detained for illegally transferring 50,000 litres of marine gas oil off the shores of Tanjung Stapa. “Six vessels were detained after our officers found they had committed several other offences,”he said in a statement here yesterday.