Indian Coast Guard Detains Iranian Fishing Vessel in Arabian Sea, Rescues Six Indian Crew
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has taken into custody an Iranian fishing vessel that entered Indian waters illegally and detained six on board, west of Beypore off the coast of Kerala late on May 05, 2024, the Indian defence ministry said. The swift sea-air coordinated operation involved the ships and aircraft of the IGC.
The Indian Coast Guard tweeted about the incident, stating that it had intercepted and detained an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, west of the Kerala coast. Six Indian crew members employed on a contractual basis in Iran were on board the vessel. The crew alleged exploitation and mistreatment by the boat owner. The vessel has been brought to Kochi for further investigation.
The six Indian crew members, hailing from Kanyakumari in neighboring Tamil Nadu, were taken into custody. According to a police officer quoted by PTI, the boat ran out of fuel when it reached Koyilandy. All those who were taken into custody were fishermen who had gone to Iran from Kanyakumari for fishing around one and a half years ago.
The police officer further said that as per preliminary assumptions, the crew members were on their way to their native place after escaping from Iran. They claimed that they were not receiving any salary and were suffering ill-treatment in Iran, including physical assault. They escaped in the same boat they had been engaged in fishing.
Earlier on April 29, in back-to-back Anti-Narco Operations, the India Coast Guard ship jointly with ATS Gujarat apprehended a fishing boat with 173 Kg narcotics and two perpetrators at sea.
