TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Indonesian Navy ships on Tuesday nabbed three foreign fishing boats flying the Vietnamese flag that were caught fishing over Indonesian waters at the North Natuna Sea.

Commander of Indonesian Navy vessel KRI Tjiptadi Lieutenant Colonel Irwan said the military detected the fishing boats while conducting a routine operation. The Vietnamese boats were fishing using a trawler.

“On January 10 at 22:05 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), at the position of 04 55 24 U - 107 14 12 T (43 nautical miles off the coast of Laut Island), we detected them operating without lights. As we approached the boats, they were identified as fishing boats flying the Vietnam flag,” said Col. Irwan said in a press statement on January 12.

One of the fishing boats is believed to have operated illegal fishing activities over the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone without official documents. The other two boats were nabbed over the North Natuna Sea.

The foreign fishing boats were operated by a crew of 14 in total and had carried mixed variants of fish catches. The three fishing boats are docked at the Sabang Mawang Indonesian Navy Dock for further processes.

Read: Vietnam Illegal Fishing Boats Captured at Natuna

ANTARA