On May 05, 2024, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully apprehended an Iranian fishing vessel, accompanied by six Indian crew members, west of Beypore off the coast of Kerala. The coordinated sea-air operation was swiftly executed by the ICG ships and aircraft, a PIB press release stated.

The ICG said in a statement that the boat was seized and brought to Kochi for further investigation on May 6.

An investigation revealed that the sponsor of the boat had treated its crew poorly and deprived them of basic living conditions. The crew alleged that they were forced to escape from Iran to India using the same boat.

The crew had signed an agreement with the sponsor for fishing on the Iran coast and was issued Iranian visas for the purpose. The investigation also revealed that the sponsor had violated the maritime rules by deploying the boat in international waters.

(With Agency Inputs)