In a report to the military’s Southern Command here, the Malaysian Navy said a patrol gunboat had intercepted the Philippine-registered M/L Wish Me Luck.
Malaysian Navy personnel boarded the vessel and confiscated about 19 empty tanks of liquefied petroleum gas, drums and some P450,000.
The 15 Filipinos, including the vessel’s five crewmen, have been detained but the vessel was escorted back to a Philippine port. Those arrested will be subject for deportation after questioning.
Malaysian authorities have tightened security in their waters bordering the Philippines to prevent pirates and Filipino Muslim extremists from crossing over.
Last year, the Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf launched two cross-border raids into Malaysian resorts and abducted dozens of foreign tourists and resort workers.
Nearly all the hostages were later freed from the island of Jolo following huge payments of ransom. — Roel Pareño