Vietnamese fish poachers seized, crews arrested

The 30 arrested Vietnamese crewmen await questioning at Khanom police station in Nakhon Si Thammarat after their four fishing boats were seized for illegally operating in Thai waters. (Photo by Nujaree Raekrun)

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: Four Vietnamese trawlers were seized and 30 crew members arrested for fishing illegally in Thai waters off this southern province early on Friday.

The crews, including the boat skippers, were taken to Khanom police station for interrogation.

They were detained after a combined team of fisheries officials and special task force marines found the four boats operating illegally in the Gulf of Thailand about 90km offshore in the early hours of Friday.

All were charged with fishing illegally in Thai waters and after questioning were to be handed over to immigration police for deportation.

The operation followed a tip-off that foreign-flagged vessels were seen illegally fishing in Thai territorial waters.