A Pakistani fishing boat with seven crew members was arrested by the Coast Guard off the Gujarat coast while fishing in Indian waters on Tuesday. The boat was first intercepted by Coast Guard ship Meera Behn while it was patrolling the sea.
“The fishing boat, Al-Hilal , was detected inside Indian waters around 16 nautical miles off the coast of Jakhau in the Kutch region of Gujarat by Coast Guard Ship Meera Behn , a statement issued by the Defence public relations officer in Ahmedabad said.
All seven crew members are fishermen and Pakistani nationals.
According to the Defence PRO, they would be handed over to Marine Police division in Kutch on their arrival on the coast.
The Coast Guard has intensified patrolling and surveillance in the areas along the coast in Gujarat.
“24/7 presence of ships is maintained and surveillance is further augmented by Coast Guard aircraft,” the statement added.
Last December, six Pakistani fishermen were nabbed by the Coast Guard inside Indian waters after crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.
