KM ARAU

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Vietnamese fishing boat rammed MMEA patrol vessel

A Vietnamese fishing boat rammed into the KM 'Arau' in a failed bid to escape when caught off Sabah’s Kudat district on June 11, 2022. The patrol vessel had sighted the boat during their exercise dubbed Op Kuda Luat, about 118 nautical miles northwest of Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. It approached the boat while the crewmen were busy pulling their catch onto the vessel at noon. Its skipper acted aggressively by ramming into the KM 'Arau', causing damage to both ships. The crew of the patrol vessel managed to board the fishing boat and found 41 crew members, aged 18 to 58, all of whom were Vietnamese citizens. The vessel did not have the necessary papers to be fishing legally in Malaysian waters. Three tonnes of seafood - mostly squid – were also found on board the boat.It was believed the boat released smaller fishing boats to make the catch before returning to the mother ship with their load. The case will be investigated under Section 15(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for fishing in Malaysian waters without a valid permit. The boat and its crew have been brought to the Kudat MMEA jetty for further investigations. Report with photo: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/13/vietnamese-boat-rams-into-mmea-vessel-in-failed-escape-bid