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Malaysian vessel, Singaporean passengers apprehended in Riau Islands
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Two Malaysian-flagged boats burn in Tarakan waters off North Kalimantan on April 5. The government has blown up and sunk 28 foreign boats proven guilty of fishing illegally in Indonesian waters. (ANTARA FOTO/Zul)
T
he Indonesian Navy's Western Fleet Quick Response (WFQR) team and Mapor patrol ship apprehended a Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel and arrested its Singaporean passengers for allegedly trespassing and fishing illegally in Bintan waters, Riau Islands, on Sunday.
The patrol boats arrested the captain of the Seven Seas Conqueress, Singaporean Ricky Tan Poh Hui, along with nine other Singaporean passengers and three Indonesian crew. They were caught 12 kilometers off Tanjung Berakit in Bintan, Tanjungpinang Navy commander First Adm. S. Irawan said on Monday. They are currently being detained at the Tanjungpinang naval base in Batu Hitam.
"We will charge them under the Fisheries Law and we will also hand them over to the immigration office. The boat was fishing in Indonesian waters without a permit. The violations are pretty clear," Irawan told The Jakarta Post.
As the patrol team approached the boat, personnel allegedly found the suspects fishing illegally. Lights were on around the boat and fishing rods were in use around the hull. Furthermore, the authorities found freshly caught fish on the boat, which showed strong indications of illegal fishing, Irawan said.
Based on checks by the Navy, the Malaysian-flagged boat belongs to Singapore's Odyssey Marine PTE Ltd. The boat had a Singapore Port clearance issued on Aug. 19 to sail the open seas and the boat was also listed on the Langkawi International Yacht Registry of Malaysia.
"We are committed to giving harsh punishment to boats caught fishing illegally in Indonesia by sinking them," he added.
The case will later be processed to reach a verdict on whether the vessel was trespassing in Indonesian waters. (rin)
