Another Singaporean boat captain, along with his crew and nine passengers, have been detained for trespassing in Indonesian waters.
Captain Ricky Tan Poh Hui was piloting the Malaysia-flagged Seven Seas Conqueress in waters near Bintan, in the Riau Islands, on Sunday when he was stopped by the Indonesian navy.
According to the navy, the boat was intercepted about 7.5 nautical miles from the coast of Tanjung Berakit in Bintan. Local authorities said it is owned by Singapore-based Odyssey Marine and did not have permission to enter the waters.
The captain, his crew of three and the nine passengers, mainly recreational anglers from Singapore, are being held for investigations in a naval base in Tanjung Pinang. Mr Tan was the only one identified by the local authorities.
Base commander First Admiral S. Irawan told The Straits Times yesterday that a navy vessel had spotted the Seven Seas Conqueress while on patrol for poachers.
“There was evidence (of illegal fishing), such as fishing-rods and fresh fish,” he said.
“That shows they were fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.”
He added that the Seven Seas Conqueress had a port clearance from Singapore, which was issued on Aug 19, and registration certificate from Langkawi in Malaysia.
When contacted, a representative for Odyssey Marine, which was listed online as Dynamic Systems Technologies, declined to comment on the incident.
On its website, Dynamic Systems Technologies is said to have been set up by a group of “ex-military personnel who had served in the most elite units of the armed forces”.
The company, located in Jurong East, specialises in conducting diving courses for defence and security agencies. It also distributes dive equipment in the region.
Indonesia has increased sea patrols against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing after President Joko Widodo announced plans to beef up the country’s fisheries sector in recent years.
The latest arrest comes after the acquittal of Singaporean boat captain Shoo Chiau Huat for a similar offence in Bintan recently.
Mr Shoo, 50, was ferrying seven Singaporeans and six Malaysians on board the MV Selin when it was caught by the navy near Tanjung Berakit on April 16.
His passengers were deported but Mr Shoo remains in the custody of Indonesian authorities and was charged with immigration offences following his acquittal last month.
Mr Shoo’s lawyer Herman Black told The Straits Times yesterday that a pre-trial motion has been filed and the case will be heard next week on Aug 29.
“I have come to the immigration office and asked for documentation relating to Mr Shoo’s detention and they have not given me any,” said Mr Herman. “So there is no clear basis for his arrest and detention.”
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