A "shipwrecked" trawler that once belonged to a Thai owner was found fishing in Somalian waters, according to Interpol.
The organisation issued a seizure warrant on Tuesday for a trawler that was once registered as O Sirichinawa 15, which was last spotted in the seas off the African coast.
The seizure warrant is based on information provided by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the Department of Fishery, which confirmed the vessel was once registered with the department but later deleted. The trawler was removed from the department's registry after the original owner reported the vessel had sunk off Samut Sakhon's coast, but the Thai owner claimed the wreckage could not be found.
The department delisted the vessel on Nov 16, 2015, which rendered O Sirichinawa 15 as a stateless trawler.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a stateless vessel is barred from engaging in fishing activities. Despite the move, the vessel mysteriously resurfaced in Somalia last year, prompting questions about the real status of O Sirichinawa 15.
Adisorn Promthep, director-general of Department of Fishery, said the European Union had informed the department in November last year that the trawler was spotted fishing in Somalian waters.
After clarifying the identity of the trawler, the department confirmed the trawler's status as a stateless vessel, which led to Interpol stepping in with its seizure warrant.
The warrant allows law enforcement forces in any country to seize the trawler upon its entry to an Interpol member's naval territory.
Mr Adisorn added that the RTP will summon the original Thai owner for questioning. No details were available as to the owner's identity.