Saturday
4th May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
The Maldivian Asuruma-3 Boat.
Indian troops boarded the Asuruma-3 fishing boat in the northern region of Maldives’ Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and threatened the crew of the boat for not giving their satellite number.
The Indian troops have boarded three boats in the north sea of Maldives since last night, the President of the Bodukanneli Fishermen's Union, Hussain Nasheed, told Mihaaru. The Indian troops boarded the boats "Asuruma-3", "Neru-7," and "Maahoaraa-3," he said.
Two Indian Coast Guard vessels were deployed in the area, Nasheed said, quoting the sailor of the Asuruma-3 After sending a drone from one of the vessels, the soldiers approached the boat and started questioning the crew.
Nasheed said six Indian soldiers boarded the boat. They detained the boat after they had tried to get the satellite phone number and could not get it even after threatening them, Nasheed told Mihaaru.
The sailor contacted the coast guard as soon as the Indian troops boarded the boat and the coast guard instructed him not to give the satellite phone number to the Indian troops, he said.
An Indian Defense Spokesperson said the boat was outside the Maldivian SEZ, but Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Ahmed Shiyam said in a post on X that the ministry's vessel monitoring facilities confirmed that the boat was operating within Maldives’ borders.
A coast guard vehicle was sent to the scene as soon as the incident surfaced, the MNDF said in the evening. The agency has launched an investigation into the matter.