The Tribune

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force arrested five Americans for poaching in northern Bimini.

According to a statement from the RBDF, while on routine patrol in the northern Bimini chain, officers apprehended a 38-foot Jupiter “sport fishing” vessel with five American men on board for illegally fishing in the Bahamas.

The arrest was made approximately three miles southwest of the Great Isaacs Lighthouse around 3pm on Saturday.

Shortly after intercepting the vessel, the RBDF discovered that the occupants of the sport fishing vessel had not cleared Bahamas Customs or Immigration and were illegally engaged in fishing using scuba apparatus. The occupants were also found with an undetermined amount of fishery resources on board their vessel without a fishing permit, the RBDF said.

The five Americans were arrested and escorted to Grand Bahama where they were handed over to authorities.