Six Myanmarese poachers arrested by Andaman Police, ANC

Port Blair, Nov 16 (PTI) The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and union territory police in a joint operation arrested six Myanmarese poachers from the remote Tillang Chong island of the archipelago, a senior officer said on Sunday.

The poachers were arrested on Saturday under operation "Castle Bay" and they will be brought to Nancowry police station on November 16 from Tillang Chong Islands for further investigation, the officer said.

Giving details of the operation, the officer said on November 8, the pilot of a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft on routine patrolling noticed an abandoned foreign boat. The pilot immediately alerted the Command, and later IRBN officials posted at Tillang Chong Look-out-Post (LoP) were also alerted.

A joint anti-poaching operation, named operation "Castle Bay", was set in motion after a specific intelligence input indicated the presence of foreign poachers who had escaped into the jungles of Tillang Chong.

Andaman and Nicobar Police DGP Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal told PTI, "The abandoned foreign boat carrying a large quantity of sea cucumber was spotted at the eastern side of Tillang Chong while our LoP is located at the western side.

The main challenge was executing the operation through difficult terrain, especially after sunset, he said.

The DGP said, "The team acted swiftly and moved into the remote island region. Drones were also pressed into action, and during intensive search efforts on November 15, six foreign poachers were successfully apprehended. The police and army detachments led the ground action, while the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard extended strong operational support, ensuring smooth coordination and comprehensive coverage of the area." He commended the police team and expressed gratitude to the ANC for the joint operation. The poachers will be brought to Nancowry police station on Sunday from Tillang Chong for further investigation, he said.

Teams are still deployed in the field to look for others (if any are still hiding), he said.

"The Andaman and Nicobar Police reaffirm our commitment to protect the fragile island environment, safeguarding India's maritime boundaries, and continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of the islands and its people," the DGP said.

In September, the Andaman and Nicobar Police had arrested 23 foreign poachers and seized nearly 550 kg of Sea Cucumbers. Sea cucumbers are highly endangered. They help in keeping the ocean's bed clean by eating decaying matter and food which settles on the sea bed.

Sea cucumbers are easily available 30-60 feet under seawater. They are used for medicinal purposes and as main ingredients in some of the exotic cuisines in the international market.

As per the statistics available with the Andaman and Nicobar Police, in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, a total of 66, 98, 70, and 73 (till November 16,) Myanmarese poachers were arrested respectively. PTI SN RG