Addu City, Maldives – The Maldives National Defense Force has said that their Southern Area Coast Guard Squadron have captured a foreign fishing boat in Maldivian waters.
The vessel was spotted 15 nautical miles north of S.Gan, and was initially reported to MNDF at around 14:27 MNDF Coast Guard by a local fishing boat “Raskuri”.
The boat and its crew are now with the Southern Area coastguard, and authorities are currently investigating the matter.
Foreign fishing vessels have occasionally wandered into Maldivian waters before, and once such as vessel is spotted, the Coastguard is quick to act- either by sending them back in the right direction or bringing them ashore for further assistance or investigation if required.
The MNDF Coastguard has assisted other foreign vessels in the past, when on the 4th of December, two Sri Lankan fishing vessels got lost in Maldivian waters after their boats were caught inside the tropical cyclone ‘Burevi’, causing the crews to veer off-course.
A few days later, on the 6th, they also assisted a 40 year old man on the Bahamian Livestock Carrier “MAYSORA”, which was travelling from Turkey to Australia after he reportedly suffered a head injury onboard.
