On April 4, two unidentified men stole around 10 kilograms of fish worth ₹5,000 and fishing gear worth ₹4,000 at Malpe port in Udupi district.

The incident came to light when Subhash S Mendon (50) from Kodavoor village and Kishore D Suvarna spotted two suspicious individuals near the port’s main gate. The duo was seen carrying a white plastic sack and walking briskly, which prompted the locals to stop and question them.

Upon inspection of the sack, they discovered fish varieties including Anjal (seer fish), Sigadi, Kandige, and Bondas, along with black-and-white pamphlets and a 60-meter yellow fishing rope.

When asked about the origin of the items, the suspects confessed to stealing them earlier that day around 12:30 PM from a fishing boat named Jasmine, owned by Thottam N Nagesh and anchored at the port.

The total value of the stolen goods is estimated at ₹9,000.

This theft comes shortly after a violent incident at the same port, where a woman was assaulted over fish theft allegations.

Malpe Police have registered a case and are investigating further.