The Coast Guard is unable to determine the nationality of the foreign troops that boarded several fishing vessels in Maldivian waters yesterday, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has said.
A media official from MNDF told Adhadhu that the foreign troops were not in the area by the time a Coast Guard vessel arrived near the Asurumaa 3 fishing vessel in the north of the country.
MNDF cannot be confident about the nationality of the foreign troops involved in the matter, the media official added.
The Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union earlier said that Indian troops approached with weapons and boarded Asurumaa 3 and two more fishing vessels.
In a post on X, the union wrote that Indian soldiers boarded Asurumaa 3, Niru 7 and Maahoara 3 vessels.
The manager of the Asurumaa 3 boat told Adhadhu that two Indian ships had surrounded the boat since 2:30 pm. The soldiers, who disembarked from the Indian ships, boarded the fishing boat and repeatedly asked if they were using a satellite phone, he said.
"We have been contacting the boat since 2.30 pm today. We have done everything to connect the boat with the Coast Guard. The boat said there were two Indian ships near it. They are onboard the boat."
The Indian troops have searched the boat, the boat manager said.
"The head fisherman said they have asked questions and are searching the boat. They are asking if the boat has the Thuraya satellite phone. It is not illegal to use the Thuraya phone in the Maldives. The boat does not even have a Thuraya phone. That boat has a device installed by Ooredoo," he added.
There were 18 crew onboard the Asurumaa 3 boat. The boat had been out at sea for the past two weeks.
