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Tanker detained for illegal anchoring

The Johor state division of Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on March 28, 2021, said its special operations ‘Ops Jangka Haram’ to crack down on foreign vessels anchoring illegally in eastern Johor waters has proved to be very effective four days into its commencement. The MMEA reported it detected 15 vessels anchoring illegally in the Tompok Utara anchorage area compared to the 105 vessels discovered previously. The patrol team has detained 13 vessels for anchoring without a permit, but the team has decided to increase its efforts to evict vessels that stubbornly remain. MMEA reported among the vessels it has detained were the 'Nautica Kota Tinggi', 'Arista Leo', 'JW Jewel' and 'Liberty'. The MMEA said it intensified the level of vigilance by deploying the Special Task and Rescue Force (PTK) team to board said vessels via helicopter to perform surprise inspections. The MMEA will reinforce its working relationship with the Malaysian Marine Department which is in charge of issuing various permits for these vessels to operate in Malaysian waters to optimise the safety of its borders and environment. On March 22 the MMEA had announced it had discovered that waters east of Johor has become a “hotspot” for foreign vessels to anchor illegally and conduct unlawful activities such as illegally releasing oil into the ocean. Additionally, the Marine Department of Malaysia detected an oil spill of six kilometers length in the area on March 21 and suspected the vessels to be unlawfully releasing oil into the ocean and endangering the environment.