Legal

MMEA reports Johor eastern waters to be ‘hotspot’ for vessels to anchor illegally

‘These vessels often conduct other unlawful activities such as illegal oil transfers, releasing waste into the waters and unauthorised crew changes,’ said MMEA.

Published

5 years ago

March 22, 2021

Admin

The Johor state division of Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Monday (22 March) said it has discovered 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, reports Berita Harian.

The three hotspots include the Tompok Utara anchorage area, Eastern Bank (Permatang Timur) and the Ramunia Shoal.

MMEA explained the western coastal area is less ideal for such vessels as the straits is narrow and it is part of the main vessel route along the Straits of Malacca.

“Many of these vessels stay for a long period of time and try to avoid paying for an anchorage permit by anchoring illegally,” said Johor Maritime Director Nurul Hizam Zakaria.

“During their stay, these vessels often conduct other unlawful activities such as illegal oil transfers, releasing waste into the waters and unauthorized crew changes.

“There are also reports of such vessels utilising these spots as a transit location to smuggle migrants.”

In the past year alone, 23 vessels were detained and 18 of these cases were compounded under Section 491B(1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for anchoring without a permit.

Maritime Director Hizam added these vessels pose a risk to the health of marine life as well as to the navigational safety of other vessels as they could cause collisions.

“Companies and shipowners have to cooperate with the relevant authorities to make it accessible to conduct operations and to take action in case of any emergencies,” noted Maritime Director Hizam.

Separately, the Marine Department of Malaysia said it had detected about 100 foreign vessels anchoring illegally in the Tompok Utara anchorage area, about 12 kilometres from Sedili Kecil beach on Saturday and was immediately concerned about possible illegal oil spills.

An oil spill was detected by the department around 7.40 pm on Saturday, 20 March and estimates it to be 6 kilometres long.

The Marine Department then partnered with MMEA to conduct investigations on Sunday but it was inconclusive as it is believed the spill has been moved by the ocean’s waves.

Nevertheless, the Department said it will continue its investigations via drones to get a better aerial view of the area.

A series of earlier MMEA detentions have been reported by Manifold Times (below):

Photo credit: Marine Department of Malaysia
Published: 22 March, 2021

Legal

Singapore: Company, director to be charged over flag registration services for UN-sanctioned ship

Investigations revealed that in 2022, the company provided flag registration services in respect of the “PETREL 8”, a vessel designated by UNSC in 2017 for transporting prohibited items from North Korea.

Published

2 days ago

July 31, 2026

Admin

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Thursday (30 July) said a company and its 49-year-old male director will be charged in court on 31 July for their alleged involvement in providing flag registration services to a vessel that contravened United Nationals regulations.

Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department revealed that on 18 May 2022, the company provided flag registration services in respect of bulk carrier PETREL 8.

The vessel had been designated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 3 October 2017, pursuant to Resolutions UN S/RES/2317 (2017) and UN S/RES/2375 (2017), for transporting prohibited items from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“At the material time, it is alleged that the company director had reasonable grounds to believe that PETREL 8 was a UNSC-designated vessel involved in transporting prohibited items from the DPRK when the flag registration services were provided,” SPF said in a statement.

The company will be charged with one count under Regulation 8D(d)(ii) of the United Nations (Sanctions – DPRK) Regulations 2010. The company director will be charged with one count under Regulation 8D(d)(ii) read with Regulation 13(a) of the same Regulations, for abetting the company to commit the offence.

The offence under the United Nations Act 2001 for contravening these Regulations carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to SGD 500,000 (USD 389,414) for an individual. In the case for a company, the offence carries a fine of up to SGD 1 million.

The United Nations (Sanctions – DPRK) Regulations 2010 under the United Nations Act 2001 gives effect to sanctions imposed by the UNSC on the DPRK to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

This includes prohibitions against the provision of services for vessels where there are reasonable grounds to believe the vessels are or were involved in activities that support the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by the DPRK. Singapore takes its international obligations under UNSC Resolutions seriously and is committed to implementing them fully. The Police will not hesitate to take action against any individual or entity that breaches Singapore’s laws and regulations.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 31 July, 2026

Vessel Arrest

Singapore: Liberia-flagged bulk carrier “Pantazis L” placed under Sheriff’s arrest

Vessel was arrested at 9.27pm on 23 July and the arresting solicitor listed was law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP.

Published

5 days ago

July 28, 2026

Admin

Singapore: Liberia-flagged bulk carrier “Pantazis L” placed under Sheriff’s arrest

Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Pantazis L was arrested in Singapore waters on Thursday (23 July).

The vessel was added to the list of vessels under Sheriff’s arrest in Singapore’s court system.

According to the list, the vessel was arrested at 9.27pm and the arresting solicitor listed was law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. The ship is currently held at Eastern Special Purpose Anchorage A – Grid 5717D.

No details were provided in the list regarding the reason behind the arrest.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Owen Pereira
Published: 28 July, 2026

Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker anchoring without permission in Selangor waters

Ship’s captain failed to produce any document authorising anchoring and is suspected of committing offence under Section 491B (1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

Published

5 days ago

July 28, 2026

Admin

Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker anchoring without permission in Selangor waters

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Friday (24 July) seized a tanker anchoring without permission in Selangor waters during an enforcement operation carried out on 23 July.

Selangor MMEA director Maritime Capt Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the tanker was seized at around 3.35 pm about 8.8 nautical miles southwest of Sekinchan during a routine patrol.

“The investigation revealed that the tanker was operated by a 60-year-old Vietnamese captain along with 13 crew members, consisting of 12 Vietnamese and one Myanmar national aged between 20 and 51 years. All of them were found to have valid travel documents,” he said.

The ship’s captain failed to produce any document authorising anchoring and is suspected of committing offence under Section 491B (1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

A detention order was issued for the tanker, while the captain and the chief engineer were brought to the Selangor MMEA headquarters to assist in further investigations.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 28 July, 2026