JAKARTA: Indonesia seized an alleged "slave ship" following a dramatic high seas chase sparked by an Interpol alert after the vessel escaped capture in China and Mozambique, authorities said Tuesday (Apr 10)

Interpol tipped off Indonesian authorities that the stateless STS-50, a vessel with a notorious maritime rap sheet, would be entering the Southeast Asian nation's waters with authorities concerned the crew were being forced to work.

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The boat, captured on Friday around 95km from Weh Island in Aceh province, had 20 Indonesians, two Ukrainians and eight Russians aboard, including the captain, a senior navy official said.

The crew have been detained and are now being questioned.

The Indonesian sailors said they were not paid and that their passports and other documents had been taken away as soon as they boarded the ship nearly a year ago, the navy said.

"These Indonesians had been sailing for 10 months without being paid so that's why we suspect there was slavery happening," Indonesian navy deputy chief Achmad Taufiqoerrochman said.

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The 258m long vessel, which was flying the flag of tiny African nation Togo, has previously flown flags from a string of countries including Japan, South Korea and Mozambique, authorities said.

It was on the run after escaping detention in China and also fleeing seizure in Mozambique.

Before it was caught in Indonesia, the vessel used several other names including Sea Breeze, Andrey Dolgov, and Aida, according to the fisheries ministry.

The vessel was equipped with some 600 gillnets - banned in some waters - targeting cod species and Antarctic toothfish. It is also suspected of involvement in "organised transnational crime", the ministry added without elaborating.

Two years ago, Indonesian warships detained a Chinese trawler wanted by Interpol in Argentina.

Jakarta has launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing which involves sinking foreign vessels caught fishing without a permit after impounding the boats and removing the crews.</s>A fishing ship carrying 600 illegal nets stretching up to 18 miles has been seized after it escaped Chinese authorities, while using the flags of eight different countries to evade capture.

The vessel, STS-50, had targeted a cod species called Antarctic toothfish that plays an important role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, according to Indonesia‘s fisheries ministry.

Its hundreds of gillnets had walls of fine mesh and could expand to a distance of 18 miles. Gillnetting has been banned in Antarctic waters since 2006 and is described by Australia as posing a “huge risk to almost all marine life, including marine mammals due to [its] indiscriminate nature�?.

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The use of the nets also harm seabirds including endangered albatrosses, the country’s environment department said on its website in 2011.

Indonesia was acting on a request from Interpol when it seized the officially stateless craft. It had eluded authorities by flying eight different flags at different times, including those of Sierra Leone, Togo, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Micronesia and Namibia, the ministry said in a statement.

Interpol contacted Indonesia last week with a request to investigate the vessel, fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti said in the statement.

“Navy ship Simeuleu conducted a ‘stop, investigate and detain’ operation on Friday and successfully seized the vessel,�? she said.

The STS-50 had previously been detained by China, but escaped and was caught in the port of Maputo in Mozambique before fleeing again, Ms Pudjiastuti said.

Prior to its capture off the Indonesian island of Weh in the northwestern province of Aceh, the vessel had also operated under several other names including Sea Breeze, Andrey Dolgov, STD No. 2 and Aida, the statement said.

Shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon shows the 54m-long, 452-tonne vessel was built in 1985.

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At the time of its capture, the STS-50 had 20 Indonesian and Russian crew, the ministry said. It was not immediately clear what would happen to them.

Navy deputy chief of staff Achmad Taufiqoerrochman was quoted in the statement as saying the Indonesian crew lacked travel documents and had been at sea for a long time without pay, indicating they may have been victims of trafficking.

Fishing for Antarctic toothfish is governed by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which forbids gillnet fishing and imposes strict rules on catches in the Southern Ocean.

“We want this to be an example for the world to not compromise with illegal fishing,�? Ms Pudjiastuti said.

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This is to coincide with his state of the nation address in Manila. AFP/Getty

Indonesia has destroyed hundreds of foreign illegal fishing boats since 2014 in an effort to protect domestic fish stocks and fishermen.

In 2016, Indonesia assisted Interpol in the landmark capture of a giant Chinese-flagged vessel that had evaded Argentina’s navy and fled into international waters after it was suspected of illegal fishing there.

The same year, Indonesia sank a giant illegal toothfish fishing vessel that had operated under 12 different names and flown flags of at least eight different countries.

Reuters</s>JAKARTA (REUTERS) - Indonesia, acting on a request from Interpol, has seized a fishing boat carrying 600 illegal gillnets that can stretch up to 30km after it evaded capture in several countries, the Fisheries Ministry said.

The vessel, the STS-50, had targeted Antarctic toothfish, the ministry said, a cod species that plays an important role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

Gillnetting, which uses walls of finely meshed nets, has been banned in Antarctic waters since 2006 and is described by Australia as posing a huge risk to "almost all marine life".

Officially stateless, the STS-50 evaded the authorities by flying eight different flags at different times, including those of Sierra Leone, Togo, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Micronesia and Namibia, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday (April 8).

Interpol contacted Indonesia last week with a request to investigate the vessel, Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said in the statement.

"Navy ship Simeuleu conducted a 'stop, investigate and detain' operation on Friday and successfully seized the vessel," she said.

The vessel had earlier been detained by China but had escaped and was later detained in the port of Maputo in Mozambique before fleeing again, Ms Susi said.

Prior to its capture off the Indonesian island of Weh in the north-western province of Aceh, the vessel had also operated under several other names including Sea Breeze, Andrey Dolgov, STD No. 2 and Aida, the statement said.

Shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon shows the 54m, 452-tonne vessel was built in 1985.

At the time of its capture, the STS-50 had 20 Indonesian and Russian crew, the statement said.

It was not immediately clear what would happen to the crew.

Navy deputy chief of staff Achmad Taufiqoerrochman was quoted in the statement as saying the Indonesian crew lacked travel documents and had been at sea for a long time without pay, indicating they may have been victims of trafficking.

Fishing for Antarctic toothfish is governed under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which forbids gillnet fishing and imposes strict rules on catches in the Southern Ocean.

"We want this to be an example for the world to not compromise with illegal fishing," Ms Susi said.

Indonesia has destroyed hundreds of foreign illegal fishing boats since 2014 in an effort to protect domestic fish stocks and fishermen.

In 2016, Indonesia assisted Interpol in the landmark capture of a giant Chinese-flagged vessel that had evaded Argentina's navy and fled into international waters after it was suspected of illegal fishing there.

The same year, Indonesia blew up a giant illegal toothfish fishing vessel that had operated under 12 different names and flown flags of at least eight different countries.</s>JAKARTA: Indonesia seized an alleged “slave ship” following a dramatic high seas chase sparked by an Interpol alert after the vessel escaped capture in China and Mozambique, authorities said on Tuesday. Interpol tipped off Indonesian authorities that the stateless STS-50, a vessel with a notorious maritime rap sheet, would be entering the Southeast Asian nation’s waters with authorities concerned the crew were being forced to work. The boat, captured on Friday some 95 kilometers from Weh Island in Aceh province, had 20 Indonesians, two Ukrainians and eight Russians aboard, including the captain, a senior navy official said. The crew has been detained and is now being questioned. The Indonesian sailors said they were not paid and that their passports and other documents had been taken away as soon as they boarded the ship nearly a year ago, the navy said. The 258-meter long vessel was on the run after escaping detention in China and also fleeing seizure in Mozambique. The vessel is suspected of involvement in “organized transnational crime,” the ministry added without elaborating.</s>JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s navy has seized a fishing boat carrying 20 crewmembers, including 14 Indonesians believed to be trafficking victims who were forced to work for years without pay, officials said Monday.

Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said a navy ship intercepted the STS-50 about 60 miles (95 kilometres) from Weh Island in Aceh province last Friday, a day after a tip from Interpol saying the vessel was heading to Indonesian waters.

Pudjiastuti said the boat was carrying six Russians, including the captain, and 14 Indonesians.

“The STS-50 has allegedly committed an organized transnational crime,” Pudjiastuti said.

She said the boat is believed to have falsified its identity many times and used the flags of eight different countries, including Japan, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Micronesia, to facilitate illegal fishing in the waters of many nations.

The boat had earlier been seized by China but managed to escape, and was later captured in Mozambique’s Port of Maputo before fleeing again, Pudjiastuti said.

Indonesian navy deputy chief Achmad Taufiqoerrochman said there are strong indications that the Indonesians on board are victims of trafficking who were forced to work at sea for years without pay.

“Suspicions of trafficking arose when we caught it without valid documents,” Taufiqoerrochman said. “We are still investigating this case comprehensively.”

He said the boat was equipped with 600 sets of gill nets, each about 50 metres (55 yards) long, that can sweep up to 30 square kilometres (12 square miles) of ocean.</s>JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia says it has seized a fishing boat carrying 20 crewmembers, including 14 Indonesians believed to be trafficking victims who were forced to work without pay.

Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the STS-50 was seized near Weh Island in Aceh province last Friday, a day after a tip from Interpol saying the vessel was heading to Indonesian waters.

Pudjiastuti said the vessel was carrying six Russians and 14 Indonesians. He said it had allegedly falsified its identity many times and used the flags of eight different countries to fish illegally in many countries.

Indonesian navy deputy chief Achmad Taufiqoerrochman said in a statement Monday there are strong indications that the Indonesians on board are victims of trafficking who were forced to work at sea for years without pay.</s>HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's foreign minister has asked his Indonesian counterpart to investigate and clarify reports that the Indonesian navy shot and wounded two Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

Pham Binh Minh told Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi by telephone that the reported incident was "very serious ... and not appropriate with the strategic partnership relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia," the Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a statement.

 "Vietnam is deeply concerned about this incident and proposes Indonesia to quickly investigate and clarify the incident and inform Vietnam of the results and to stop repeating similar acts," Minh was quoting as saying.

 Earlier this week, a local Vietnamese sea rescue committee said Indonesia's navy had shot and wounded Vietnamese fishermen aboard a fishing boat in the South China Sea last weekend.

 The Vietnamese boat was about 132 nautical miles (245 km) southeast of Vietnam's Con Dao island when the fishermen were shot on Saturday night, the Binh Dinh provincial search and rescue committee said on its website.

 The report was pulled off the website the next day. 

 The Indonesian navy has yet to comment on the incident.

 Disputes over fishing rights and oil drilling have stoked tension in the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in goods is shipped each year.

 China claims almost the entire sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims.

 Although Indonesia says it is not a party to the dispute, it recently renamed the northern reaches of its exclusive economic zone, asserting its own maritime claim.

 The coordinates given by the Vietnamese search and rescue committee indicated that the shooting happened close to the area Indonesia now calls the North Natuna Sea.

 Indonesia has sunk hundreds of mostly foreign boats caught illegally fishing in its waters since President Joko Widodo launched a crackdown on the poaching of fish in 2014.

 Indonesia and Vietnam said in May they would launch a joint investigation after reports that Vietnamese coast guards had tried to forcibly free five fishing boats and their crew detained in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands.

 

 (Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe in Jakarta; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Indonesia announces the capture of MV STS-50, a stateless vessel wanted by Interpol for illegal fishing, and her crew following a chase. MV STS-50 previously evaded capture in Mozambique and escaped after being detained in China. Following the ship's detention Indonesia launches a slavery investigation into working conditions on board.