Allegations have arisen that foreign troops who boarded the Maldivian fishing vessel yesterday forced the crew of the boat to delete evidence like photos and videos.
Foreign troops that boarded the local fishing vessel Asuruma 3 while it was in the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) yesterday afternoon confiscated some phones of the crew and fishermen on board the vessel and forced them all to delete any evidence, including photos and videos, of the event, Mihaaru News reports, stating the information was gathered from an informed source.
Three fishing vessels in the Maldives' northern seas were stopped by a foreign military.
The Yellowfin Tuna Fisherman's Union (Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union) and crew of the vessels in question allege that the foreign troops were members of the Indian navy or coastguard.
"The Indian Coastguard approached the vessel while it was within the boundaries of Maldives' ocean territory," the union's President Hussain Nasheed told Mihaaru News yesterday.
"According to the Captain, these officers kept enquiring about the number of the satellite phone. The vessel was detained after they refused to reveal the number. The Captain was in communication with the Maldives' Coastguard as well. They have no authority to ask for the satellite phone number, right? That's why the number was not given," the official said.
The official said that upon refusal to provide the satellite phone number, Indian military personnel proceeded to intimidate the crew.
However, Indian journalist Sidhant Sibal posted on social media platform X that "Indian Navy says no Indian Naval Warship in the area, after reports from Maldives emerged that Indian Navy ship was present in Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone".
MNDF, meanwhile, has said that the matter is currently under investigation.
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