The Japan Coast Guard has arrested the captain of a Chinese coral collecting boat on charges of operating in Japan’s exclusive economic zone without permission.

A coast guard aircraft spotted the Chinese boat 44 kilometers east-northeast of Miyakojima, an island in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, at around 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday.  A Coast Guard spokesman says a patrol ship of the Ishigaki Coast Guard Office’s Miyakojima station then made its way to the location and officers arrested the 44-year-old Chinese captain. The boat had 10 crew members aboard.

The Coast Guard official added that there were about 20 fishing boats in nearby waters that appeared to be Chinese. The Miyakojima station also arrested the captain of another Chinese boat collecting coral on Feb. 2^nd.

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