TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police in a press conference on Tuesday announced the capture of four fishing boats operating under a Vietnamese flag for illegal fishing in the North Natuna Sea in the Riau Islands.

The arrest was announced at the press conference by the Head of the National Police Security Maintenance Agency, General Commissioner Arief Sulistyanto on Tuesday.

The foreign fishing boats committing illegal fishing in the area are registered as KG 1448 TS, KG 90721 TS, KG 92596 TS, and KG 92549 TS.

These fishing boats had operated at the early hours of dawn and according to reports would often enter Indonesian waters to conduct trawl fishing. Following a pursuit, police confiscated one tons of various fish varieties and four trawl nets.

Police have also detained 36 ship crews who are all Vietnamese, out of that total number four of them are the fishing boat’s skippers. The illegal fishing boats, in committing their crime, would often evade Indonesian authorities by exiting Indonesian waters just before sunrise.

The total potential losses caused by these illegal fishers reach upwards of Rp1 trillion, especially considering two of the fishing boats captured had operated for 12 years.

Read: Vietnam Illegal Fishing Boats Captured at Natuna

CAESAR AKBAR | ANTON APRIANTO