A Sri Lankan vessel was apprehended yesterday within the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has confirmed.
The ship was first spotted by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) 26 nautical miles from Addu Atoll yesterday, before being reported to police.
The coastguard eventually apprehended the vessel around 35 nautical miles from Addu Atoll, where it is today being brought.
This is the third time that foreign ships have entered Maldivian territorial waters in recent weeks. Just over two weeks ago, a Bolivian vessel on route to Iran was hijacked by Somali pirates, the first such attack to take place within Maldivian waters.
One week later, the coast guard was again dispatched after an unidentified vessel was spotted 77 miles from Alif Alif Atoll.
