South 24 Paragnas, 18 December (H.S.): Two Bangladeshi trawlers, which had crossed the international maritime boundary and entered Indian waters to fish, have been apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard. 35 Bangladeshi fishermen on board the two trawlers have been taken into custody.

The Coast Guard handed over the arrested fishermen to the police at Fraserganj Coastal Police Station on Wednesday evening. The police subsequently arrested them.

As per information, the two Bangladeshi trawlers were fishing in Indian waters after crossing the international maritime boundary. The two trawlers are named Sabina-1 and Rupsi Sultana. Sabina-1 had 11 Bangladeshi fishermen on board, while Rupsi Sultana had 24.

On Tuesday, the Indian Coast Guard, while patrolling the Bay of Bengal, spotted the two suspicious trawlers. The Coast Guard immediately detained the two Bangladeshi trawlers on charges of illegal intrusion into Indian territory. The 35 Bangladeshi fishermen on board the two trawlers were brought to Fraserganj fishing harbor by the Coast Guard on Wednesday. The Coast Guard then handed over the arrested fishermen to the police at Fraserganj Coastal Police Station.

The police said that the arrested fishermen have been charged with illegal entry. Interrogation is underway. The arrested individuals will be produced before the Kakdwip court on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi naval vessel had collided with a trawler belonging to fishermen from Kakdwip after entering Indian waters. In that incident, 11 fishermen managed to escape with their lives, while five others were missing. This morning, the sunken trawler was brought to the Maynapara dock in Kakdwip. After pumping out the water from the trawler, the bodies of two individuals were recovered from inside the engine room.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey