NAVY SEIZES FOREIGN FISHING BOATS

Jakarta, June 17 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy again seized several foreign fishing boats operating illegally in Indonesian waters in the Malacca Strait.

Navy spokesman Commodore Iskandar Sitompul said here on Wednesday the Navy's KRI Kapitan Pattimura-371 had seized Malaysian PKFB 450 for illegally entering Indonesian territory in the Malacca Strait.

"The boat was seized also because it carried no documents required by existing law," he said.

The PKFB 450, belonging to Chan Leng Kooi, is a trawl tugboat type weighing 39.43 tons manned by four crew, namely skipper Tank Koon Siag (Chinese), Wichai (Thai), Than Tan (Thai) and Twe (Thai).

Until it was seized the boat had already made a catch of 300 kilograms of fish.

After it was seized the boat was led to the naval base in Dumai for a legal process.

A week before, the KRI Kapitan Pattimura-371 also seized two Thai fishing boats also for fishing illegally in the strait, namely Daung Pramong 11 and Lap 17 respectively carrying catches totalling five tons and 2.5 tons of fish with 21 crew on board without required documents.

The boats and crew are currently being legally processed in Belawan with all the evidence.