Kolkata, Dec 18 (NationPress) The Indian Coast Guard has detained 35 Bangladeshi fishermen and confiscated two trawlers after they were discovered operating in Indian waters of the Bay of Bengal, police reported on Thursday.

According to officials, two suspicious trawlers were identified by the Coast Guard during their patrols on Wednesday morning. The trawlers were quickly apprehended for their illegal presence in Indian territory.

The fishermen aboard the vessels were subsequently transported to the Fraserganj fishing harbour by the Coast Guard.

The detained fishermen were transferred to the Fraserganj Coastal Police Station, where they are facing charges of illegal entry. Ongoing interrogations are in progress, and the arrested individuals are set to appear before the Kakdwip court in the afternoon.

The two trawlers involved, named 'Sabina-1' and 'Ruposhi Sultana', had 11 and 24 Bangladeshi fishermen on board, respectively.

Previously, on December 15, a vessel from the Bangladesh Navy collided with a fishing trawler belonging to local fishermen from Kakdwip, South 24 Parganas, after it entered Indian waters. In that incident, eleven fishermen narrowly escaped, while five others were reported missing. This morning, the sunken trawler was retrieved at the Moynapara dock in Kakdwip.

After recovering the trawler and pumping out water, the bodies of two men were discovered in the engine room. They have been identified as Sanjib Das from Paschim Gangadharpur and Ranjan Das from Durajpur in East Midnapore. The families of the deceased have been notified.

In the past two months, numerous Bangladeshi trawlers have been intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard for unauthorized entry into Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal. Many fishermen have been arrested during these operations. In response, the Indian Coast Guard has amplified its surveillance efforts in the Bay of Bengal, leading to an increase in the number of apprehended vessels.