Asia/Pacific News
Malaysia Detains Ships for Illegal Fuel Transfer
Malaysian authorities say they have detained two ships for illegally transferring fuel, the New Strait Times reports.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the MT Moonlight was transferring marine gas oil (MGO) to the MT Amanda and had already transferred 53,470 litres out of the 300,000 litres in its tank when they were stopped Wednesday afternoon.
"A total of 14 crew members age between 21 and 55 from both vessels, all Indonesians, were detained," said MMEA southern region enforcement chief Captan Aminuddin Abdul Rashid.
The action took place off the waters of Tanjung Piai in Pontian, and six crew members including the ships captains and chief engineers were brought to the MMEA for further investigation, while the rest of the crew were detained at the vessels.
The MT Moonlight is registered in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, and the MT Amanda is registered in Mongolia, Aminuddin said.
He said the ships, which could not produce papers authorizing the transfer, may be charged for anchoring in a restricted area and for failing to inform authorities of their arrival.
In February, the MMEA detained four ships for illegal fuel transfers as part of a law enforcement operation.
