Inp.polri.go.id - Batam. The Security Maintenance Board's Air and Maritime Police Corps have seized two Vietnamese-flagged fishing vessels involved in illegal fishing activities within the North Natuna waters, confirmed Police Senior Superintendent I Wayan Supartha Yadnya, Head of Law Enforcement Sub-Directorate, on Wednesday (25/10/23). "KP. Bisma 8001 captured two Vietnamese-flagged fishing vessels on Sunday in the waters of North Natuna. They were engaged in (illegal) fishing at the moment," he said. He explained that the capture began with intelligence reports and information from the local community. Following the capture and subsequent inspection, it was revealed that the vessels lacked proper documentation or authorization to fish in Indonesian waters. The vessels were found to be employing pear trawl nets and had already harvested approximately 650 kilograms of mixed fish. Following the investigation, two ship captains, identified as Ha Van Khoi and Dang Van Binh, have been named as suspects. He pointed out that these vessels had been operating in Indonesian waters for 15 years. During this period, they evaded authorities by manipulating their AIS names or codes and adopting Indonesian names during fishing operations. "The illegal fishing activities have resulted in an estimated loss of IDR 288 billion for the state, calculated over their 15 years of operation," he stated. (ar/inp/pr/nm)