MMEA Conducts 720,000 Inspections, Detains 4,401 Since 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has carried out about 720,000 inspections and 161,000 searches since 2023, detaining 4,401 individuals as part of efforts to combat cross-border crimes in the country’s waters.

MMEA Maritime Security and Surveillance Division Border Security and Data Branch principal assistant director Commander Mohd Khairul Azhar Ishak said illegal fishing, smuggling and the entry of illegal immigrants were among the main threats being tackled by the agency.

“Over the MMEA’s 21-year history, illegal fishing has remained one of the main threats, involving both unlicensed local fishermen who are unfamiliar with the regulations and foreign fishermen.

“Of the 4,401 individuals detained since 2023, more than 3,100 were involved in illegal fishing, smuggling and the entry of illegal immigrants,” he said while appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme today.

Mohd Khairul said the effectiveness of MMEA operations depended greatly on cooperation from the maritime community, particularly fishermen, who played a key role as the agency’s ‘eyes and ears’ in detecting suspicious movements and activities at sea.

He urged the maritime community to channel information on suspicious activities to the MMEA, including details of locations, times of incidents and suspicious boats or vessels, instead of taking matters into their own hands, which could pose safety risks.

“The Sahabat Maritim programme has been implemented nationwide to strengthen ties between the MMEA and the maritime community. As they are at sea almost every day, they are often more familiar with the waters than MMEA personnel themselves,” he said.

On asset enhancement, Mohd Khairul said the MMEA would continue to strengthen its operational capabilities through the acquisition of two Multi-Purpose Mission Ships (MPMS) from Turkiye, which would allow the agency to conduct operations further out in national waters for extended periods.

He added that the MMEA had received an AW189 helicopter for nationwide deployment and was finalising the procurement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to enhance monitoring and surveillance capabilities in national waters.

Mohd Khairul said the MMEA, through the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), was also planning to acquire coastal radar systems for several strategic areas, particularly in Sarawak and along the east coast of the peninsula, to address gaps in surveillance coverage.

He said the coastal radars were capable of detecting vessel movements up to 50 to 60 nautical miles away, enabling the MMEA to identify suspicious activities at an early stage and deploy the nearest assets more quickly.

--BERNAMA