Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) has arrested an unregistered vessel carrying nearly 100 tons of illegal diesel in the waters of Batam, Riau Islands, on Monday.
The Bakamla patrol vessel ‘KN Belut Laut’ caught the wooden vessel off Rempang Island, a small island located southeast of Batam. There were five people onboard at the time.
There were no identity documents onboard for the cargo of fuel, according to data provided by The Jakarta Post.
The wooden vessel reportedly collected the diesel from other ships selling it illegally, Comdre. Nursyawal Embun was quoted as saying.
The confiscated vessel is to be transferred to the Riau Islands Police’s Special Crimes Directorate for further investigation, he added.
This is the second vessel detained for allegedly attempting to smuggle fuel in the waters of western Indonesia this year.
On 17 February, Bakamla apprehended the Indonesian-flagged tanker Maxima Pratama in the waters bordering Indonesia and Singapore and arrested the crew for allegedly transferring 18 tons of illegal fuel to an unregistered vessel.
We will intensify monitoring of our waters to curb the illegal activity,
…Comdre. Nursyawal Embun said.
