Paradip, Dec 10 (PTI) The Coast Guard on Tuesday intercepted two Bangladeshi vessels with 78 people on board while allegedly fishing in Indian waters, a statement said.

The two vessels were located during routine surveillance by the Coast Guard ship 'Amogh', it said.

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The vessels -- FV Laila-2 and FV Meghna-5, were found engaged in unauthorised fishing activities in Indian waters near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), violating the international maritime laws and bilateral agreements, it added.

While there were 41 crew members on FV Laila-2, there were 37 crew members on FV Meghna-5, the statement said.

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Upon inspection, approximately 160 ton of fish were found in the two vessels. Subsequently, the vessels and the crew members were brought to Paradip in Odisha for further investigation, it said.

Both vessels were booked under the Maritime Zones of India Act, 1981.

The Coast Guard said it was coordinating with relevant authorities, including the Ministry of External Affairs and the Fisheries Department, for further legal actions.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)