Indian Coast Guard Apprehends 3 Sri Lankan Fishing Vessels

India: Three foreign fishing vessels have been apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for suspected drug trafficking off Minicoy island in Lakshadweep, official sources said here on Sunday. The fishing vessels, intercepted by Coast Guard Ship ‘Varaha’ on Saturday, are believed to be of Sri Lankan origin, they said.

The boats are being brought to Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram for investigation. The vessels and the crew members will be handed over to the Vizhinjam police, they said.

The crew members of the vessels will be questioned by officials of Narcotics Control Bureau and Intelligence Bureau, sources told PTI. The vessels were apprehended on the basis of specific intelligence inputs, they added.