KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has successfully detained a passenger boat last Saturday in state waters near Tanjung Harapan, uncovering multiple violations during routine operations.
Its director Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the boat was intercepted at 12.30pm during operations Op Ehsan and Op Tiris.
Initial checks revealed that the boat, transporting 10 passengers from an anchored merchant ship to the Pulau Ketam passenger jetty, was manned by a captain and a crew member.
He said the inspection revealed that the captain was unable to provide a valid insurance certificate and was also carrying 50 cartons of cigarettes without necessary authorisation.
The passengers included four Filipinos, five Chinese nationals, and one Taiwanese national, alongside the captain and crew members aged between 25 to 59 years old.
"The boat and its occupants were detained, and 50 cartons of cigarettes seized. They were subsequently handed over to MMEA investigating officers at Pulau Indah marine police," he said.
The case is being investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952 and the Customs Act 1967 for carrying unauthorised cigarettes.