The Maldivian coastguard has seized a foreign vessel for illegal fishing inside the country’s territorial waters.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said the vessel had been seized while operating inside Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and its six member crew had been taken into custody.
According to MNDF, the vessel was spotted inside the EEZ, east of Dhiffushi, Kaafu Atoll.
Foreign flagged fishing vessels venturing into the large territorial waters of the Maldives are quite common and the coastguard on constant patrols have seized several vessels even in the past. Such vessels usually face a heavy fine for illegal fishing.