3 Natuna Fishing Boats Arrested By Malaysian Officials, Riau Islands Provincial Government Reports KKP

A total of three ships belonging to fishermen from Natuna Regency, Riau Islands (Kepri), were arrested by Malaysian officials for allegedly entering Malaysian waters without permission.

Head of the Natuna Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) Station, Captain Ilham, confirmed the incident. Each ship, he said, carried two crew members (ABK) and one captain.

"They entered the Malaysian sea," he said when contacted, Friday, November 17, was confiscated by Antara.

He said he had reported the incident to the leadership and was currently being followed up.

"There is already a special team (to handle the incident)," he said.

Ilham said he could not confirm when the nine fishermen were arrested, but for now they have been secured to mainland Malaysia.

He hopes that the fishermen will be released soon so they can gather with their families. "We are still investigating," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Fisheries Service, Natuna Hadi Suryanto, said the three vessels were arrested on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 and taken to the Malaysian Serawak Port.

"They were found entering the neighboring country," he said.

Similar incidents, he said, occurred in 2022 and the central government helped resolve them through diplomatic channels.

Therefore, he continued, the Natuna Regency Government (Pemkab) would write to the Riau Islands Provincial Government (Pemprov) and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (KKP) to help solve the problems faced by fishermen.

"We do not have the authority, but we will write to the KKP in charge of supervision to oversee and assist and monitor the progress of the legal process there," said Hadi.

He said, Monday, November 13, the letter had been signed and sent to the KKP. "Last year we did the same thing to our two fishermen who were detained in Malaysia," he said.

Hadi hopes that the incident will be a lesson for fishermen and hopes that they will be released soon.