Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) Cost Guard has seized two fishing vessels from Sri Lanka that were operating illegally in Maldives’ Special Economic Zone.
The two boats were seized in a joint surveillance operation conducted by MNDF’s Coast Guard and MNDF Air Corps. MNDF said the boats were seized on 1 February 14:02, 109 nautical miles from Kelaa, Haa Alif Atoll.
The boats are brought to the harbour of Kulhudhufushi City, Haa Dhaalu Atoll and will be handed over to the Maldives Police Service (MPS).
With the establishment of the Air Corps, the defence forces now have the ability to monitor Maldivian waters 24 hours a day. The newly introduced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can fly at speeds of up to 220 kilometres per hour for as long as 20 hours continuously. The UAVs are also capable of conducting search and rescue operations even at night.
Previously, the MNDF faced significant challenges in patrolling Maldivian waters, relying solely on Coast Guard vessels.