MMEA nabs four Indonesians stealing scrap metal from tugboat near Kota Tinggi

KOTA TINGGI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has arrested four Indonesian men for stealing scrap metal from a tugboat at Tanjung Ayam here.

Johor MMEA operations deputy director Capt Simon Templer Lo Tusa said the suspects were caught after their boat was detected by the Malaysian Maritime Sea Surveillance System (SWASLA) radar.

“The suspects, aged between 19 and 39, approached a tugboat at 10.20pm on Sunday (July 23).

“A patrol team was deployed to the location where they found the four men transferring scrapmetal from the tugboat into their boat, at 10.30pm, 2.5 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Ayam,” he said in a statement here on Monday (July 24).

All of the suspects were then arrested, their boat confiscated, and taken to the Pengerang Maritime Post for further action, he added.

The case is being investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code for committing theft on a vessel and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering the country and staying without valid travel documents.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, Johor MMEA Tanjung Sedili acting director Maritime Commander Mohd Najib Sam informed that the body of an unknown man was found floating near Sedili Kechil here.