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Lithuanian ship detained for poaching in Russia's economic zone released on bail

The ship Juros Vilkas was spotted by Russian costal guard in the Barents Sea on September 18, around ten tons of crab fish were found on board

MURMANSK, October 7. /TASS/. The Murmansk Oktyabrsky district court has released a Lithuanian ship, the Juros Vilkas, on bail worth 113 million roubles.

Earlier, the ship was detained in the Barents Sea by Russian border guards for illegal catches of crab fish, the press service of the Murmansk district court told TASS. The ship owner had asked to bail out the ship, it said.

All the necessary investigative procedures on board the ship have been carried out; the ship's presence in the Murmansk sea port is no longer necessary, the press service said, citing a source from the FSB Border Guard Department for the Murmansk region.

The ship had been illegally catching crab fish in Russia's exclusive economic zone when it was detained, the FSB source said. A Russian costal guard ship spotted the intruder on September 18. Around ten tons of crab fish were found on board the Lithuanian ship when it was searched.

The ship’s captain attempted to take the ship into the Norwegian economic zone, but the Russian border guards forced the ship to stop. Afterwards, the ship was convoyed to the Russian sea port of Murmansk for investigation.

The Russian border guard service placed under arrest the ship's register, its fish procurement documentation and an illegal load of marine life found on board.

There were 27 sailors on board the detained ship, including the ship's captain and two more Lithuanian sailors; the rest of the ship's crew are citizens of Russia, the Russian border guards said.