KARACHI: The Maritime Security Agency arrested 13 Indian fishermen and seized three boats for illegally trawling in the exclusive economic zone of Pakistan.

‘Our officials seized three Indian fishing boats, arrested 13 crew members 55 nautical miles inside our territorial waters and they have been handed over to the police,’ MSA spokesman Lieutenant Commander Shakeel Ahmed Khan said on Friday.

‘The arrested crew members seem to be fishermen, but they are still being interrogated by the relevant security organs to establish their exact identity and intent for operating in our waters,’ he said.

The MSA official claimed that Indian fishermen continued to intrude in Pakistan’s marine rich Indus Delta region to capture the high quality fish products, adding that a continuous surveillance over the exclusive economic zone was maintained.

Considering the prevailing security concerns, the MSA official said that all-out efforts would be maintained to safeguard the country’s maritime interests as mandated by the government.

Authorities here estimate that more than 100 Pakistani fishermen are languishing in Indian jails while Indian authorities say nearly 500 Indian fishermen are in Pakistani prisons. — Agencies.