Minister of Defense Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon has addressed concerns regarding the recent incident where Indian military troops intercepted three Maldivian fishing boats within the Maldives' Special Economic Zone (EEZ), attributing the incident to miscommunication according to official sources. He made these statements in response to questions raised by parliamentarians.
Minister Ghassan provided detailed information about the incident, confirming that Indian troops from two naval vessels boarded three local fishing boats on January 31 and February 1. He clarified that these fishing boats were indeed within the EEZ of the Maldives, and tracking devices installed on the boats verified that they did not stray from the designated area.
The boarding teams conducted routine search operations on the fishing boats, with India claiming that the boats were boarded due to a miscommunication during a general search operation. However, Minister Ghassan disclosed that despite these claims, the boarding team admitted that they boarded the fishing vessels based on information received indicating the use of satellite phones onboard.
Minister Ghassan highlighted that such incidents occur due to the lack of facilities to monitor the maritime region of the country. He stressed the importance of ensuring that other nations recognize the Maldives National Defence Force's (MNDF) capability to conduct surveillance and security operations in the region, expressing confidence in the government's efforts to achieve this.
Furthermore, the minister assured that initiatives to establish a fusion center to enhance the Coast Guard's defense system are underway. He revealed that facilities such as UAVs and radar systems will provide updated information to the Maldives Police Service, Maldives Immigration, and Maldives Customs Services once the center is operational. Minister Ghassan expressed confidence that the center will be inaugurated and begin providing services within the current year.