NARATHIWAT: A Vietnamese fishing boat was caught and six crewmen, including the captain, arrested by marine police in the Gulf of Thailand on Saturday, Marine Police Division 7 commander Pol Col Sarawut Litchaweerat said at a press conference on Sunday.
Pol Col Sarawuit said two marine police patrol boats spotted the boat, named bbt 971 84 TH, fishing in Thai territorial waters about 30 nautical miles east of Narathiwat at about 2.30pm.
The fishing boat with six crewmen was caught and charged with illegal fishing and intruding on Thai territorial waters.
Marine Police Division 7 is responsible for an area in the lower Gulf of Thailand from Songkhla down to the border with Malaysia. One of its responsibilities is to protect Thai marine interests. Several Vietnamese fishing boats were caught earlier.
The arrested Vietnamese fishing crew would undergo a Covid-19 screening process before being handed over to Narathiwat police for legal actions, Pol Col Sarawut said.