Udupi: The Indian Coast Guard and Coastal Security Police (CSP) apprehended three individuals for illegally entering Indian waters aboard an Omanian fishing boat near St Mary’s Island, approximately eight nautical miles off the Udupi coast.

The arrested individuals—James Franklin Moses (50), Robinston (50), and Derose Alphonso (38)—are from Tamil Nadu. They have been booked under Section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, and Sections 10, 11, and 12 of the Maritime Zones of India Act, 1981.

During questioning, the trio revealed they had set sail from Duqm Port, Oman, on February 17 at 3 PM. They were intercepted on February 23 around 4:30 PM after a local fisherman near Malpe alerted the authorities.

Coastal Security Police SP Mithun H N ruled out any terror links, stating that preliminary investigations indicated they were victims of employer exploitation in Oman. Their passports were confiscated, and they were denied food and wages, forcing them to take the risk of returning to Tamil Nadu by sea.

Despite having only a basic GPS device, they navigated 3,000 km via the Karwar coast, reaching St Mary’s Island before being caught. They were produced in court in Udupi on Monday and have been remanded to judicial custody.

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