TEMPO.CO, Pekanbaru -The Malaysian maritime authorities have detained 19 fishermen hailing from the Indonesian province of Riau for allegedly violating territorial borders, police said.

"The local police arrested them during a patrolling exercise in the waters. Based on our talks with the commander of the Dumai naval base, our fishermen had indeed violated the territorial border," chief of the Rokan Hilir police resort, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Henry Posma Lubis, said here on Saturday (25/6).

The 19 fishermen, detained since Thursday (June 23), included skippers and crew members of three different motor boats.

According to a preliminary report, they were caught while being in the Rupat waters, Bengkalis district, Riau province, at coordinates N. 02.26.500 E.101.26.500, Posma informed.

However, based on the result of investigation conducted by the Malaysian maritime authorities, the 19 fishermen had entered the Malaysian territory 10 miles from the Malaysian coast.

He disclosed that his side, along with the naval base, was still trying to coordinate with the Malaysian police regarding the arrest.

The detention of the 19 Riau fishermen came to light after a fisherman managed to escape.

"They were arrested in the wee hours of Thursday in Sinaboi waters, Rokan Hilir bordering Malaysia, in the Malacca Strait. We escaped but three other vessels were captured," Lasa, the fisherman, stated.

ANTARA