Indian Coast Guard seizes two Bangladeshi trawlers, 35 fishermen arrested

Kolkata, Dec 18 At least 35 Bangladeshi fishermen were arrested and their two trawlers seized by the Coast Guard after they were found in the Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal, said the police on Thursday.

According to the police, two suspicious trawlers were spotted by the Indian Coast Guard patrolling in the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard immediately apprehended the two Bangladeshi trawlers for illegally entering Indian waters.

The Bangladeshi fishermen on board the two trawlers were brought to the Fraserganj fishing harbour by the Coast Guard later in the day.

The Coast Guard handed over the detained fishermen to the police at the Fraserganj Coastal Police Station. Police said the detained fishermen have been arrested on charges of illegal entry. They are currently being interrogated. The arrested individuals will be produced before the Kakdwip court on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the names of the two trawlers are 'Sabina-1' and 'Ruposhi Sultana'. Sabina-1 had 11, and Ruposhi Sultana had 24 Bangladeshi fishermen on board.

Earlier, on December 15, a Bangladesh Navy ship had collided with a fishing trawler belonging to fishermen from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district after entering Indian waters. In that incident, eleven fishermen narrowly escaped with their lives, while five others were reported missing. This morning, the sunken trawler was brought to the Moynapara dock in Kakdwip.

After pumping the water out of the trawler, the lifeless bodies of two men were recovered from inside the engine room. The deceased have been identified as Sanjib Das from Paschim Gangadharpur in Kakdwip area and Ranjan Das from Durajpur in Purba Khali, East Midnapore. The families of the deceased have been informed.

Over the last two months, several Bangladeshi trawlers have been apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard for crossing into Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal. A large number of Bangladeshi fishermen were arrested from such ships. Since such incidents, the Indian Coast Guard has increased surveillance in the Bay of Bengal, which has resulted in catching more such Bangladeshi boats.

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