The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized a Pakistani fishing boat and detained nine crew members after intercepting the vessel inside Indian waters near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Arabian Sea, officials said on Thursday.
According to the Gujarat Defence Public Relations Office, the interception took place during a night patrol operation on January 14, 2026. Wing Commander Abhishek Kumar Tiwari, Defence PRO for Gujarat, said the Coast Guard ship detected the Pakistani fishing boat operating within Indian maritime limits close to the notional IMBL.
“In a swift and precise night operation, an Indian Coast Guard ship, while on patrol in the Arabian Sea, sighted a Pakistani fishing boat inside Indian waters near the notional International Maritime Boundary Line,” Tiwari said in a post on social media platform X.
He said that when the Coast Guard personnel challenged the vessel, the boat attempted to flee towards the Pakistani side of the maritime boundary. “However, the ICG ship intercepted and boarded the boat in Indian waters,” he added.
The fishing boat, identified as Al-Madina, was found to have nine crew members on board, all of whom are Pakistani nationals, officials said. No immediate information was provided on whether the crew possessed valid fishing permits or navigational documents authorising them to operate in the area.
Following the interception, the vessel was secured and is now being towed to Porbandar port by an Indian Coast Guard ship. Officials said the boat will undergo thorough “rummaging,” a standard maritime inspection process, to check for any contraband, communication equipment, or other materials of security concern.
The detained crew members will also be jointly interrogated by relevant security and intelligence agencies to establish the circumstances that led to the boat’s presence in Indian waters, officials said.
Incidents involving fishermen from India and Pakistan inadvertently or deliberately crossing maritime boundaries are not uncommon in the Arabian Sea, where poorly marked sea borders and strong currents often complicate navigation. However, Indian authorities maintain that strict enforcement is necessary given the region’s security sensitivities.
“The operation reaffirms the ICG’s unwavering commitment to securing Bharat’s maritime frontiers through relentless vigilance and law enforcement across the nation’s maritime domain,” the Defence PRO said.
