Two men have been apprehended on suspicion of stealing metal scraps from an abandoned cargo vessel at Pulau Daat in Labuan. The men were spotted on a wooden boat by maritime officials at around 9.30pm on Thursday (Jan 11).
Izwanhadi Idros, the director for Labuan of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), reported that the maritime officials were conducting patrols when they noticed the two men acting suspiciously. Upon inspecting the men and their vessel, they discovered used metal pieces believed to have been stolen from an abandoned cargo vessel.
Additionally, both men were found to be undocumented and the vessel did not have an operating license. Izwanhadi stated that the suspect, boat, and metal scraps were brought back to the Labuan Maritime Jetty for further investigation and action.
The case is being investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and the Immigrations Act 1959/63. If found guilty under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance, the suspects could face fines, and under the Immigration Act, they could be jailed, whipped, or both.
Izwanhadi emphasized that the MMEA takes a strict stance against criminal activity at sea and will not tolerate any such offenses. They are committed to taking stringent action against offenders.
