Catch Fish Using Explosives, 5 NTT Fishermen Arrested By Police

Illustration of criminals arrested (ANTARA)

Police personnel from the Water and Air Police Unit (Polairud) of the Ende Police, East Nusa Tenggara Police arrested five fishermen who caught fish in the waters of Batubara Village, Wewaria District, Ende Regency for catching fish using explosives.

Head of the Polairud Law Enforcement Sub-Directorate of the NTT Police, AKBP Hendra Dorizen, said that the five fishermen were named Sobi, Gara, Uvi, Pio and Mea. "They were arrested on Monday afternoon, then investigated with an examination," he said.

He explained that the arrests of a number of perpetrators of the fish bombing were arrested after reports from residents in the area were worried about their actions.

After receiving a report from Polairud personnel from the Ende Police, they immediately patrolled using the patrol boat KP.P. SUKUR XXII - 3007 around the reported waters.

Patrols have been carried out since last Sunday (24/3), until Monday (25/3). While patrolling they heard the sound of a compressor engine. Not long after, a diver from the seabed appeared carrying a sack.

"The team then suspected it was a fish caught," said Hendra.

The team then moved closer, but when the fishing boat approached, it got away from the pursuit of the Polairud team. The Polairud team returned to patrol and managed to find a fishing boat at that location.

From a distance, the Polairud team saw a blue and white fishing boat anchoring. On the boat, it was seen that four fishermen were sitting, around the boat, a canoe was seen manned by one person squatting on the canoe with his face set on the surface of the sea water allegedly observing the target fish for the Bomb.

Seeing this suspicious thing, Crew KP.P. SUPPORT XXII - 3007 by using a Motorboat Approaching and then examining a number of fishermen.

The results of the examination found a fish box containing nine bottles of fish bombs packaged in glass bottles, in addition there were two boxes of fish.

"The results of the examination were recognized by the fish as the result of the bombing they had carried out around the waters of Bangkal Amarasi," he said.

Some of the evidence found were four bottles of explosives that had not been attached to a explosive axis packaged in a green glass bottle, then there was also an explosive bottle that had not been installed with a explosive axis packaged in a brown glass bottle that read.

Furthermore, two standard explosive axes are ready to use, four packs of detonator powder wrapped using cigarette paper, sulfur powder filled in plastic bottles and six pieces of rubber slices of bottle blockage sandals.

As a result of their actions, the perpetrators who are fishermen are suspected of having violated Article 1 paragraph (1) of the Emergency Law Number 12 of 1951 concerning firearms and explosives or Article 84 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 8 paragraph (1) of Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries as amended in Law Number 45 of 2009 concerning amendments to Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

Now, a number of fishermen are still being held and are still in the process of being investigated by the local police.