Eight nabbed for illegal fishing near oil rig

LABUAN, April 18 -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Labuan Zone arrested eight people, including four Filipinos for fishing near an oil rig, about 23.3 nautical miles northwest of Labuan,  Sunday morning.

In the 3.20am incident, the suspects, aged 18 to 53 years and who were aboard two fishing boats were caught encroaching into the oil rig area and fishing in the waters there.

They were approached by the MMEA team who were conducting patrols under ‘Op Pelantar’, Labuan Zone MMEA told Bernama in a statement.

“The suspects comprised four locals and four undocumented Filipinos migrants... the fishing boats and the suspects have been taken to the Labuan Maritime Jetty for further action,” the statement said.

All those nabbed are being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985, Immigration Act 1959/63, Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959.

-- BERNAMA