Incheon: The Coast Guard has seized eight Chinese fishing boats in waters off South Korea's west coast for anchoring in the area for an extended period without permission, officials said Tuesday. The Central Regional Coast Guard stated that the vessels were detained on charges of violating the Ship Act and the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the vessels are suspected of illegally remaining anchored for a prolonged period in waters near Yeonpyeong Island. Among the seized boats, three were unmanned, while the remaining ships had 10 crew members on board at the time of the operation.

The operation to capture the vessels occurred on two separate occasions, at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Coast Guard officials now plan to escort the detained vessels and conduct investigations to determine if they were involved in any illegal fishing activities.