Vietnamese trawlers seized in Thailand for illegal fishing

SONGKHLA, THAILAND, September 5 (TNA) - Thailand's southern navy officers have captured three Vietnamese fishing vessels and a total of 17 crewmen for illegal fishing in the Thai waters. The three Vietnamese trawlers, with their 17 crew members, were seized on Friday by the Thai navy force, in cooperation with police from Muang District of Songkhla Province and they have been charged with illegal entry and illegal fishing in an exclusive economic zone in Southern Thailand. An official probe found that the three Vietnamese trawlers had been fishing illegally for 10 days in the Thai waters near the Greater Bongkot South Gas Field in the Gulf of Thailand, operated by PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), where it is also a sensitive area for Thailand's national security. The Thai authorities were, meanwhile, coordinating with the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok for further action, including deporting all the detained fishermen to their home country. (TNA)