Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 27
By Temkin Jafarov, Saeed Isayev - Trend:
Two vessels with Saudi Arabian flags were detained by Iran in the Gulf on Nov. 26, Fars news agency reported on Nov. 27.
The vessels were detained for carrying out "illegal trade", according to the Iranian side.
Iranian navy commander of Bushehr province, Qulundar Lashkari said that a total of nine people from two vessels have been arrested.
He added that all of the arrested are from different countries, and there will be cases opened for each of them.
"They were sent to prison," Lashkari said.
Last year a similar detention took place as joint IRGC-Iranian navy naval operation resulted in detention of a Saudi Arabian vessel in the Gulf, on Iranian territory, near Khurkhan settlement near Iranian city of Bushehr.
As a result of the detention, four people got arrested for crossing Iran's sea borders. As a result of investigation, it was revealed that the detained vessel was a fishing one, with Indian fishermen on board.
In June Iran detained two two fishing vessels belonging to the United Arab Emirates and arrested its crew consisting of 13 people. The vessels, according to Iranian sources, have violated its territorial waters.