The personnel of the Second Naval Area Command arrested nine crewmembers on two Vietnamese fishing boats for illegally fishing off Songkhla province.
Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatpalin, spokesman of the Royal Thai Navy, said the fishing boats were spotted while they were illegally dredging sea cucumbers about 80 miles off the southern province.
Naval personnel on HTMS Taimuang and HTMS Tor 114 stopped the fishing boats and arrested nine crewmen.
The fishing boats had left Ca Mau, Vietnam, on April 23 and dredged sea cucumbers for four days. The crewmembers were questioned at the Songkhla naval base before facing legal action.
Vice Adm Pokkrong said that since fiscal year 2022 the navy has seized 12 foreign fishing boats and arrested 56 crewmembers altogether for illegal fishing in Thai waters. (TNA)