Officials of the Kanika Forest Range arrested 10 persons for illegally catching fish at the Sapua creek after trespassing into the Kalibhanjadiha protected forest under the Bhitarkanika National Park during the wee hours on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, the forest personnel rushed to the spot and intercepted the fishing boats. The team also seized two mechanised fishing boats along with fishing nets and fish catch from their possession.
All the arrested persons, who are residents of Gajarajpur village in Kendrapara district, were later produced before the Rajnagar JMFC Court, from where they were remanded into jail custody as their bail petitions were rejected by court, said Kanika Forest Ranger Akhaya Kumar Nayak.