SANDAKAN: The marine police detained a Vietnamese fishing boat for illegally harvesting sea cucumbers.
The foreign fishing boat, carrying six Vietnamese, was intercepted by PPM Sandakan in the waters of Sungai Asam at around 4:15pm yesterday.
Sandakan operations base commanding officer, Deputy Superintendent Ezuandi Bahadin, said that during the incident, the patrol team was on a routine patrol when they spotted a suspicious foreign fishing boat engaged in towing activities.
"Upon noticing the presence of marine police, the boat's skipper accelerated and refused to stop despite being ordered to do so.
"After a chase, the fishing boat was successfully intercepted, and upon inspection, it was found to be a Vietnamese fishing boat," he said when contacted today.
Further inspection revealed that the boat was captained by a 41-year-old Vietnamese man, accompanied by five crew members aged between their 30s and 70s, all of whom were also Vietnamese.
"A barrel containing sea cucumbers, believed to be the result of towing activities in the area, was also found.
"The total value of the seizure, including the boat and sea cucumber harvesting equipment, amounts to RM2,099,800," he said.
He added that the apprehended individuals and the seized items were brought to the marine police Sandakan base for further action.
"The case is being investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985," he said.