Indian, Pak. nationals held for illegal fishing in Somalia

MOGADISHU, MAY 18. Three local officials are illegally holding more than 30 Indian and Pakistani nationals in north-eastern Somalia for fishing in Somali waters, an official in the regional state of Puntland said today.

The official, a spokesman for the Puntland Attorney- General, told AFP that the foreign nationals had been held more than six weeks without the knowledge of the Attorney-General. He said that the three officers had rejected orders to appear in a Bossasso court on May 13 to answer charges of abuse of power in connection with the fishermen's detention.

The accused - Mohamed Botan Awol, Abdulkarim Yousuf Ismail and Abdullahi Mohamed Nur - are holding the foreigners on the pretext that they illegally fished in the Red Sea waters controlled by Puntland off the north-east Somali coast.

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Section  : International
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