MIRI (Feb 8): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two tugboats each with a barge laden with gravel and 12 crew members some 2.9 nautical miles southwest of Kuala Baram around 2pm yesterday.

MMEA Miri director Capt Mohd Shafie Paing said the tugboats, barges and crew members were detained after the skippers failed to produce the domestic shipping licences (DSL).

“MMEA personnel who inspected the tugboats during a patrol operation, found the first tugboat with a barge was manned by five crew members including a skipper comprising two Indians and three locals, aged 25 to 54.

“The other tugboat with a barge was manned by seven crew members including a skipper comprising four Indonesians, an Indian and two locals, aged 23 to 54

“All of them have valid identification documents but the skippers failed to produce the required documents during inspection,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Shafie said the tugboats and all crew members were then detained for further investigation under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952/60 and the Customs Act 1967.

He said MMEA welcomes information from the maritime community to report any illegal activities and emergencies at sea directly to the MERS 999 line or the Miri Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 085-418204; Sarawak State Maritime Operations centre at 082-432544 around the clock.