Police: Fishing boats captured in Maldivian waters Sri Lankan

The police said on Saturday that the five foreign boats caught fishing illegally in Maldivian territorial waters last week were Sri Lankan.

The five boats were found to the east of V. Atoll, 30 nautical miles inside the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone, by the Coastguard ship Huravee during patrol last Thursday.

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) spokesperson Major Ibrahim Azim said there were six people onboard each boat.

The boats were taken to Hulhumale’ under the custody of Huravee and transferred over to the police.

A police spokesperson said the boats were Sri Lankan.

The case is under investigation by relevant government agencies.