THE Thai navy last night (Feb. 7-8) seized two Myanmar vessels, one trawler and the other a long-tail boat, that encroached on Thai waters near Ranong province and rounded up 13 crew members including the skipper for questioning, Amarin TV said.
Vice Admiral Suwat Donsakul, commander of 3rd Naval Area and director of the 3rd Maritime Interests Protection Centre, ordered patrol boats T271 and T274 to seize the two Myanmar boats spotted eight nautical miles southwest of Koh Khang Khao island, with this being Thai territorial waters near Ranong province.
Assisted by two more boats, one from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre and the other a marine fisheries inspection vessel, the naval crews of T271 and T274 captured and brought the two Myanmar boats to Ranong deep-sea port at 2 a.m. today.
All seven crew members of the fishing boat were Myanmar citizens. They were searched and their mobile phones seized with the skipper not having any shipping documents to declare. The boat had been repainted and did not display any name nor was it flying a flag.
An inspection of the boat showed it did not have any fishing equipment with the hull being empty which raised questions about why it had entered Thai waters and whether it had done something illegal.
In addition the long-tail boat that was approaching this trawler was also captured with the crew of six, five Myanmar nationals and one Thai, the helmsman, detained. It was carrying eight 200-litre diesel tanks that had not been cleared by customs for delivery to the fishing boat.
Five charges were filed against the 13 arrested crew members including encroaching on Thai waters, not having a boat licence and crew members’ documents to show the officials, sailing a boat without flying the national flag and smuggling 1,600 litres of fuel,
Last November Myanmar patrol boats attacked 50 Thai trawlers and captured one of them with four Thai fishermen aboard this vessel later sentenced to four to six years in jail.
The Myanmar sailors opened gunfire from their patrol boats at the Thai trawlers prompting one of the crew members to jump overboard and drown in the sea and injuring a skipper with a bullet literally scratching his head.
CAPTION:
Thai navy patrol boats seizing a Myanmar trawler and a long-tail boat that encroached on Thai waters. Photos: Amarin TV
Also read: Thailand hopeful four fishermen still jailed in Myanmar will soon be freed
Thailand to protest Myanmar warships attacking Thai fishing boats
Thaksin urged to get Cambodia-based scammers busted
8 women among 61 scam centre victims released as minister visits Mae Sot
Tachiliek still brightly lit but scam centre dimmer
As Payathonzu people struggle in the dark, Chinese gangs enjoy all-night karaoke session
Antisemitism spreads in Pai after hospital ruckus
