West Sulawesi Regional Police Arrest 11 Fishermen Using Hundreds Of Fish Bombs

MAMUJU - The Directorate of Water and Air Police of the West Sulawesi Regional Police arrested 11 fishermen who were caught catching fish using hundreds of fish bombs.

The Head of Public Relations of the West Sulawesi Regional Police, Kombes Syamsu Ridwan, said as many as 11 fishermen were caught red-handed while carrying out fishing activities using fish bombs.

"The arrest of the 11 fishermen took place in the waters of Sabakatang Island, Bala-Balakang District, Mamuju Regency, on Saturday, September 11", he said, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, September 14.

From the arrests, the police confiscated 136 bottles of fish bombs weighing 100 kilograms ready for use, 96 detonators or axes, 38 coconut fronds, five-ship batteries, six fishing nets, one unit of diving equipment or compressor, two units of hand GPS, and one unit of a ship.

A total of 11 fishermen were arrested, he said, namely MA (39), AS (41), SB (25), RM (27), ES (27), RK (20), FJ (19), HA (22), AW (20), SF (51), and JS (50).

"They were arrested along with evidence and the boat used to catch fish using bombs. The 11 fishermen have their addresses on Sabakatang Island, Bala-Balakan District, having their address in Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan and coming from Majene and Mamuju Regency", he explained.

Besides arresting 11 fishermen and confiscating evidence of hundreds of fish bombs, he said, personnel from the Directorate of Water and Air Police secured 1.4 tons of fish caught using explosives.

The fishermen, he added, have been named as suspects by being charged with Article 84 of Law Number 31 of 2004 with a maximum penalty of six years in prison.

"From the results of the examination of 11 fishermen, they claimed to have carried out fishing activities using fish bombs for the last two years," he said.

Meanwhile, the Daily Executive Director of Water and Air Police West Sulawesi, Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police Mulyadi Amin, said the arrest of 11 fishermen who used hundreds of fish bombs took place in the waters of Sabakatang Island, Bala-Balakang District, or about 160 miles from Mamuju.

The police, he said, is still developing the arrests of the 11 fishermen to track down the owner of the boat and the origin of the explosives, namely ammonium nitrate used by the fishermen when catching fish.

"We have pocketed the identity of the ship's owner. We just need to make an arrest. We are still investigating this case, including the origin of the ammonium nitrate used as the material for making the fish bombs", said Mulyadi.