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Navy nabs 2 Thai-operated boats for illegal fishing
A Thai fishing boat is secured by the Indonesian Navy on Thursday
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A Thai fishing boat is secured by the Indonesian Navy on Thursday. The boat and its crew were arrested for illegally fishing in Natuna waters, Riau Island province. (Courtesy of Western Fleet Command)" width="512" height="345">A Thai fishing boat is secured by the Indonesian Navy on Thursday. The boat and its crew were arrested for illegally fishing in Natuna waters, Riau Island province. (Courtesy of Western Fleet Command)An Indonesian Navy warship arrested two boats operated by Thai sailors fishing in Anambas waters, Riau Island province, less than a week after sinking three Vietnamese vessels accused of illegal fishing in the same waters.
The KRI Sultan Hasanuddin 366 Sigma class corvette seized the two fishing boats, each weighing between 50 and 70 gross tons on Thursday, according to a statement by the Navy's Western Fleet Command (Armabar) made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.
âThe KRI Sultan Hasanuddin detected suspicious vessels on radar and pursued them in the Natuna waters near the Indonesia-Malaysia border,â Armabar spokesman Lt. Col. Ariris Miftachurrahman said in the statement.
A Thai fishing boat is secured by the Indonesian Navy on Thursday. The boat and its crew were arrested for illegally fishing in Natuna waters, Riau Island province. (Courtesy of Western Fleet Command)<)
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span class="inline inline-center">A Thai fishing boat is secured by the Indonesian Navy on Thursday. The boat and its crew were arrested for illegally fishing in Natuna waters, Riau Island province. (Courtesy of Western Fleet Command)
An Indonesian Navy warship arrested two boats operated by Thai sailors fishing in Anambas waters, Riau Island province, less than a week after sinking three Vietnamese vessels accused of illegal fishing in the same waters.
The KRI Sultan Hasanuddin 366 Sigma class corvette seized the two fishing boats, each weighing between 50 and 70 gross tons on Thursday, according to a statement by the Navy's Western Fleet Command (Armabar) made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.
'The KRI Sultan Hasanuddin detected suspicious vessels on radar and pursued them in the Natuna waters near the Indonesia-Malaysia border,' Armabar spokesman Lt. Col. Ariris Miftachurrahman said in the statement.
Crews in both boats, all believed to be Thai, failed to present proper documents. Both vessels and dozens of sailors were detained at the Tarempa Navy Base on Siantan Island, Anambas Islands regency.
One of the boats used the Indonesian name, KM Tanjung Pura 02, and flew the Indonesian flag. Its registered owner, Henri Rivai, is Indonesian. All crew members, including the captain, however, were Thai, Armabar said.
The second boat was named the Tawatesai, written in Thai script.
The cases are being handled by Navy investigators in Tarempa.
Last week, three Vietnamese boats were sunk in Tanjung Pedas waters near Tarempa for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters. As many as 33 fishermen were subsequently detained in Tarempa.
President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has ordered authorities to crack down on illegal foreign fishing as part of the implementation of his 'world's maritime axis' doctrine. (nvn)(+++)
