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Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. Fishermen from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, have said they were well within Indonesian waters when the Australian Navy intercepted their boat on Thursday and detained nine of them for allegedly fishing in Australian maritime territory.

The fishermen said the patrol boat HMAS Albany rammed the Nirwana twice, damaging one of its sides, and detained its captain, Gab Oma, and eight of his crew. The rest of the crew were allowed to return to Kupang in the Nirwana.

Speaking late on Sunday, dozens of fishermen from Kupang’s Oesapa subdistrict, said they had verified the Nirwana’s position on returning home. They said their last coordinates were 124.27 East longitude to 11.37 South latitude, within Indonesian waters.

Two of the crew, Bogas and Ical, said a boarding party from the Albany had found sea cucumbers on the Nirwana. The nine other crew have been taken to Darwin, where they remain in custody.

Ferdi Tanoni, the chairman of West Timor Concerns Foundation (YPTB), claimed Gab’s arrest was connected to the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea .

Ferdi said Gab was one of first witnesses to the oil spill, adding that he suspected the captain was taken into custody because he was a key witness in the pollution case.

East Nusa Tenggara Police spokesman Okto George Riwu, said authorities would wait for the results of the Australian preliminary probe of the alleged illegal fishing before proceeding.

The Foreign Ministry did not r espond to call s for comment.

The Montara oil field, operated by Thai company PTT Exploration & Production, has leaked tens of thousands of crude into the Timor Sea after the wellhead at the Atlas platform burst on Aug. 21. The rig is located 690 kilometers west of Darwin.

The leak was plugged on Wednesday, but PPTEP said the clean-up could take seven years.

Activists say the spill has poisoned waters on the Indonesia coast of the Timor Sea, destroying fishermen’s livelihoods.