The Acehnese fishermen were arrested on March 3 at 6.00 p.m.
Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - Twelve Acehnese fishermen were detained by the Indian Navy in the waters off Nicobar Island in the eastern Indian Ocean for poaching. The Acehnese fishermen were arrested on March 3 at 6.00 p.m., Deputy Secretary of Aceh Sea Commander (Panglima Laot) – the tribal leaders in Aceh fishing community – Miftah Cut Adek, said here Tuesday,

"The 12 Acehnese fishermen departed Lampulo Port February 29 at 6.15 p.m. aboard BSK motorboat with a capacity of 5.9 GT," Adek said.

The 12 fishermen are the skipper Afdal, and crew members Idris Manaf, Ferri, Saiful Abu Bakar, M Amin Ismail, M Suid, Afdhoruddin, Zulkarnain, Akarim, Sofyan, M Aziz, and Sarwan.

The fishing vessel was detained at the waters 55 nautical miles off the Nicobar Island, near the fishing aggregating device number 3 at around 5.00 p.m.

Afdal told his friend Erwin Usman, who is the skipper of another fishing ship, that the Indian Navy had fired a warning shot toward his ship.

"They finally stopped us and at 6.00 p.m. Afdal reported that he was arrested by the Indian Navy," Adek said.

From November 2018 to March 3, a total of 37 Indonesian fishermen have been arrested by the Indian Navy for poaching.

The court pronounced a not guilty verdict for three of them and they would be deported to Indonesia soon.

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Translator: M Haris SA, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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