BANGKOK, July 11 (Xinhua) — The Thai navy arrested 29 crew members of three Vietnamese trawlers for allegedly illegal fishing in Gulf of Thailand Sunday, Thai media reported Monday.

The arrests took place about 12 nautical miles northeast of natural gas platform Muda A in the exclusive economic zone while the Navy's Region 2 was on patrol, the Bangkok Post reported.

Naval personnel, who questioned the trawlers' captains, said the boats sailed from Ca Mau province of Vietnam and entered the Thai waters to catch fish.

The Vietnamese were brought to Songkhla Naval Base on Sunday, while two of the boats later sank after weathering rough waters.

The crew members were charged with violation of the law governing the right to fish in Thai waters and the royal ordinance on fisheries, according to the navy.

The Vietnamese embassy in Thailand will be notified about the incident, while the fishermen will be sent to Muang Songkhla police to face charges and deportation.

This is the 26th time the Navy's Region 2 have detained the crew of Vietnamese trawlers allegedly catching fish in Thai maritime territory in the 2016 fiscal year.

A total of 59 fishing boats have been seized and 401 crew arrested, the navy said.