Navy seizes 128 boats off Batam

Navy seizes 128 boats off Batam

BATAM, Riau: The Navy has at least 128 vessels in a series of
operations between May 27 and Sept. 3, the commander of the
Western Fleet, Vice Adm. Yohannes Didiek Heru P., has said.

"The vessels were seized for a variety of reasons, ranging
from smuggling, illegal fishing and piracy to sunken treasure
theft, sand mining and causing marine pollution," he said on
Friday.

Didik explained that of the 128 vessels detained in the Strait
of Malacca, the Singapore straits as well as the waters off West
Kalimantan and Riau, only 19 of the perpetrators/captains had
been taken to court.

He explained that the number of seized vessels had dropped
substantially from the 356 detained last year, in respect of
which 24 people had been prosecuted.

"The drop in the number of vessels shows that the Navy's
operations have helped discourage potential transgressors from
committing crimes," he said. --JP