Bangladeshi fishing trawler nabbed in Indian waters

KOLKATA: In an air-sea coordinated search, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized a

Bangladeshi fishing trawler

while it was attempting to cross over the

International Maritime Boundary Line

(IMBL) on Tuesday.


While contraband was found on the boat, the crew succeeded in giving the authorities the slip and escaping into dense forests after beaching the vessel on a little-known island in the Sundarbans. The identity of the crew is yet to be ascertained and it is not known whether they succeeded in escaping with incriminating material.

ICG assets from the Coast Guard Headquarters (North East) were activated after an alert by its intelligence wing regarding a Bangladeshi vessel attempting to sneak across the IMBL. While aircraft traced the trawler, a hovercraft was vectored to the location to apprehend it. ICG assets were already patrolling the area, officials in Kolkata said.

"The trawler is named Nurani. It was in shallow waters when our hovercraft approached. The crew then deliberately beached the boat and fled through the forest. Our boarding party found gunny bags on board the trawler containing sarees and textile material. The vessel is now being taken to the nearest police station. Once there, a joint investigation will start," an ICG official said.

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