Authorities investigate Iranian tugboat docked in Butterworth
The authorities are investigating an Iranian tugboat with a crew of three for entering and anchoring at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) without permission on Dec 11.
The Penang Port Commission (SPPP) said that the police, Penang Immigration Department and the Northern Malaysia Marine Department had converged on the tugboat to probe the matter...
The authorities are investigating an Iranian tugboat with a crew of three for entering and anchoring at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) without permission on Dec 11.
The Penang Port Commission (SPPP) said that the police, Penang Immigration Department and the Northern Malaysia Marine Department had converged on the tugboat to probe their presence.
"After being tipped off, SPPP instructed the Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) to implement security controls on the Tanzanian-registered tugboat and contact the authorities for further investigations.
"Based on information received by PPSB, the tugboat under the name 'Fire Man' docked at the N1 Pier to seek emergency medical aid for two crew members," the SPPP said in a statement today.
The investigation also found that the tugboat, which had not appointed any local agent, was believed to have started its journey from Japan to the United Arab Emirates.
The tugboat had failed to report their entry in the Penang Port Limit area to the Northern Malaysia Marine Department and SPPP.
Nevertheless, the PPSB Port Health authority and the Marine Police Force visited the tugboat and took the sick crew members to Seberang Jaya Hospital for treatment.
One crew member was allowed to leave on the same day (Dec 11) while another was detained in the ward for further treatment until Dec 15.
As a Not To Land (NTL) order was issued to the crew by the Immigration Department, they were placed on the tugboat with security supervisions by PPSB and were transferred to Perai Pier from NBCT.
Yesterday, Bernama reported that an Iranian tugboat with a crew of three was confirmed to have entered the state's waters after two of them fell sick and were sent to the hospital.
The MV Fire Man Zanzibar's problems started when it was on its way from the Philippines to Dubai and ran out of fuel, before it was towed by another vessel that broke down. It anchored in Johor waters on Dec 11.
Local authorities, which were aware of the tugboat's presence in the country's waters, had been monitoring it and trying to provide it with assistance.
The tugboat then docked at NBCT’s Pier 1 to seek medical assistance.
- Bernama
