The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has seized three foreign fishing vessels it says were operating illegally inside the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone.
According to the MNDF, the vessels were intercepted on Monday night, 12 October, about 170 nautical miles west of Ari Atoll, in a joint operation by its Coast Guard and Air Corps.
The MNDF said the boats are being escorted to Malé for further investigation and legal proceedings. It has not said which country the vessels are registered in.
Fisheries officials in Thoothukudi, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, said three mechanised boats from Tharuvaikulam with 25 crew on board had been detained by Maldivian authorities. The MNDF has not confirmed that these are the same boats.
Fishermen in Tharuvaikulam say the boats left on 1 October for deep-sea tuna fishing and drifted into Maldivian waters because of strong winds and currents. Indian officials said efforts to secure the release of the crew have begun.
No charges have been announced. The Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to 200 nautical miles from its baselines, and the country holds sovereign rights over fisheries within it.