Kolkata, Feb 17 (IANS) One Bangladeshi fishing boat, along with 28 crew members, was apprehended in the Bay of Bengal for illegally fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said on Tuesday.

The force said that the Bangladeshis, along with their boat, were apprehended on Sunday, while an ICG ship was on surveillance in the Northern Bay of Bengal.

“Indian Coast Guard Ship Amrit Kaur, while on surveillance in the Northern Bay of Bengal, apprehended 01 Bangladeshi Fishing Boats (BFB) along with 28 crew for illegally fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on 15 Feb 26,” the coast guard said in an official statement.

While on patrol duty, the ship detected the Bangladeshi fishing boat operating inside Indian waters, in violation of the Maritime Zones of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels) Act, 1981 (MZI Act). The vessel was intercepted, boarded, and thoroughly inspected by the Coast Guard boarding teams.

According to officials, the crew of the BFB failed to produce any valid authorisation or permit to fish in the maritime zones of India. The fishing gear and catch indicated active fishing operations within the prohibited area.

The boat, along with the crew, was taken into custody and safely escorted to Frazerganj for further legal proceedings.

“The apprehension highlights the Indian Coast Guard’s steadfast commitment to protecting India’s maritime interests, preventing illegal fishing, and ensuring the security of Indian fishermen operating in the region,” the statement further read.

It added that the Indian Coast Guard maintains constant vigil in the Bay of Bengal through round-the-clock surface and air surveillance to enforce maritime laws and safeguard national maritime assets.

Earlier on February 7, the Indian Coast Guard announced that it had seized three vessels off Mumbai and busted an international oil smuggling racket involving handlers operating across multiple countries, coordinating the sale and transfer of cargo between ships at sea.

Following a meticulously planned sea-air coordinated operation on February 5 and February 6, the three apprehended vessels are likely to be escorted to Mumbai for further investigation, according to an official statement.

The vessels will be handed over to Indian Customs and other law enforcement agencies for appropriate legal action, it said.

Preliminary findings indicate that the vessels frequently changed their identities to evade detection by maritime law enforcement agencies, and that their owners are based in foreign countries, it added.

The operation dismantled an intricate network involved in the illicit transfer of large volumes of oil and oil-based cargo originating from conflict-ridden regions, the statement said.

–IANS

sd/rad