Suspicious tanker activity has recently been detected in Malaysia's northwest waters. On Saturday, Malaysian authorities reported seizing two tankers suspected of illegally transferring crude oil approximately 24 nautical miles north of Penang state.

According to Penang Maritime Enforcement Agency Director Mohd Sofi Mohd Ramli, officers discovered the vessels anchored side-by-side early Thursday morning and preliminarily determined unauthorized crude oil transshipment was occurring.

The seized crude oil is valued at over 512 million ringgit (approximately 108 million euros). The involved tankers have been lawfully detained, and their captains have been handed over for investigation.

The case is being investigated under two Malaysian maritime laws. However, the flag states and ports of origin of the two tankers have not yet been disclosed.

Notably, the 53 crew members aboard the vessels hailed from China, Myanmar, Iran, Pakistan, and India. This detail has further heightened attention on the incident.

Malaysia has previously faced external scrutiny over the frequent occurrence of ship-to-ship oil transfers evading international sanctions within its territorial waters. Last year, Malaysian authorities publicly pledged to intensify efforts to combat such illegal maritime activities.