UDUPI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized two Iranian fishing boats and 15 crew members for illegally entering Indian waters. They have been arrested. Sources in CSP said that the ICG’s offshore patrol vessel “Vikram” was monitoring the movement of the two Iranian boats as they had entered Indian territorial waters.
ICG Deputy Commandant Kuldeep Sharma, along with a boarding officer and sailor were patrolling about 165 nautical miles off Mangaluru near Agatti-Lakshadweep at around 2.45 pm on October 21 and noticed the two boats — ‘Avidi and Ishan.’ Signals were given to the fishermen by ICG officials, but the fishermen did not stop. Later, the boats were chased and stopped by ‘Vikram’. ICG officials then took the two boats into their possession and towed them to NMPT Mangaluru. While towing, Avidi developed technical snag and capsized. Ishan was, however, towed to NMPT with the crew members.
Kuldeep Sharma then filed a written complaint against the 15 fishermen at the Coastal Security Police station in Mangaluru. The arrested Iranian fishermen have been identified as Abubakar Ansari Miya, Moosa Dehadani, Azam Ansari, Shid Bachoo, Abdul Majeed, Majeed Rehmani Dawood, Mohammed Isaac, Karim Baksh Doorjade, Mohammed Baloch, Baman, Abdul Ghani Bapur, Nasir Bhadruj, Anwar Baloch, Nabhi Baksh and Yusuf Jahani. A case is registered against the accused under Sections 3,7,10,15(a), 14,15(c) of the Maritime Zone of Indian Act 1981.
Chethan R, SP, Coastal Security Police, Udupi, told TNIE that investigation is still on. “The presence of fishing material in their boat made us to say that they were carrying out fishing activities in violation of the rules. Identity cards produced by them during the initial investigation showed their nationality as Iranians. Detailed investigation will be conducted,”he said.All the 15 arrested have been sent to judicial custody till November 14, they have been sent to Mangaluru jail, he added.