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Malaysia captures 60 Chinese nationals and 6 vessels for trespassing

Malaysia captures 60 Chinese nationals and 6 vessels for trespassing

South China Sea

Malaysian authorities have detained nearly 60 Chinese nationals for trespassing into theSoutheast Asian country`s waters.

Along with these Chinese nationals, six Chinese registered fishing vessels were also seized by the maritime authorities. TheMalaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) informed the local media that the trespasserswere detained in off the shore of the southern state of Johor.

The mission was conducted on Friday.

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"Further checks found that all the vessels registered in Qinhuangdoa, China, were manned by six captains and 54 crew who are Chinese nationals aged between 31 and 60 years," MMEA regional director Mohd Zulfadli Nayan said in a statement.

As per the initial investigations, the vessels were bound forMauritania and had to make an unexpected stop in the country due to probable technical malfunctioning of the vessels.

The mission was carried out after earlier this year a Chinese research ship had surveyed the Malaysian water for almost a month. This was China's try to surveyingMalaysia`s exclusive economic zone, amid a standoff with a Malaysian oil exploration vessel near disputed waters.

China's trespassing in the Malasian waters has increased to nearly 90 such incidents between 2016 and 2019. This has come at a point when the US and China are fighting to claim portions of the South China sea.