PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Oct 21 (Interfax) - A ship flying a foreign flag and manned by a Russian crew has been detained in the Sea of Okhotsk with almost 170 tonnes of frozen crab and trumpet fish onboard, the Federal Security Service's Kamchatka territorial border department said on Tuesday.
"The Argal Coast Guard ship supported by a Federal Security Service aircraft has detected a foreign ship unregistered in the sectoral monitoring system. The crew disobeyed a lawful demand from the border guards to stop," the report said.
The ship eventually came to a halt after a three-hour chase.
"It appeared that the refrigerator ship was called the Arax and flew the flag of Togo. It was manned by twelve nationals of Russia," it noted.
About 165 tonnes of frozen crab and trumpet fish were found in the ship's hold.
"The crew did not have fishing or ship documents, nor loading, transportation and storage licenses. The captain did not send daily reports to the controlling authorities. The Coast Guard was not informed about the ship's crossing into the Russian exclusive economic zone and the maritime checkpoints were not passed," the department said.
Administrative charges were brought against the Arax's captain. The ship was escorted to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky port for further inquiry.
The department pointed out that the Arax's crew had already been charged with violations of nature conservancy laws this year.