The arrests took place on Monday (May 19), when the Royal Thai Navy vessel HTMS Longlom intercepted the boats within Thailand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 80 nautical miles southwest of Phuket, reports the Region 3 branch of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai MECC 3), based in Phuket.
The operation was launched after a report on May 15 from a local fishing network alerted authorities to the presence of suspicious foreign vessels roughly 56 miles off Phuket’s coast.
In response, Thai MECC 3 Commander Vice Admiral Suwat Donsakul ordered an immediate investigation. Authorities used maritime monitoring systems and local intelligence to track the vessels, deploying HTMS Longlom to patrol the area.
The mission was conducted as part of the government’s ‘Seal, Stop, Save’ initiative, which targets illegal fishing, drug trafficking and maritime threats, Thai MECC 3 explained in its report.
Despite rough seas and mechanical issues that slowed the return journey, the HTMS Longlom successfully escorted both boats to Thap Lamu Pier by 10am yesterday (May 20).
V/Adm Suwat personally oversaw the arrival, arrest procedures and coordination of a multidisciplinary team to handle the investigation.
All 18 Indonesian nationals have been taken into custody and taken to Chalong Police Station for further legal action.
The two seized fishing boats are currently being held at the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command at Cape Panwa, on Phuket’s east coast, pending legal proceedings.