BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Thailand’s Marine Police Division on Thursday reported that authorities had seized two Vietnamese boats and arrested 11 crew members for illegally fishing in Thai waters off Thailand’s Southern Province of Narathiwat.
Thai marine police spotted the two fishing boats netting fish and the boats were immediately brought to shore.
The 11 crew members were also taken onto Thai soil for a thorough COVID-19 swab test before being handed over to Narathiwat police station for legal action.
Police said authorities have since seized 27 fishing vessels and 170 crew members in 14 separate cases since October 2019.
The Marine Police Division also said that in many cases, Vietnamese trawlers are not aware that they have intruded into foreign water.
