The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it received information stating that four Egyptian fishermen were detained in Saudi Arabia.
According to the statement released by the ministry, the fishermen were arrested in Saudi regional waters in front of the city of Al-Wagh, “under suspicion of possessing drugs”.
The Egyptian consulate in Jeddah is following their case and sent an official to their detention location to acquire more information and offer legal help, according to assistant minister for consular affairs Hesham Al-Naqib.
Saudi authorities had detained the four fishermen in early February.
Several accidents have befallen Egyptian fishermen over the past few months. A fishing boat sunk in Sudanese territorial waters on 30 January, carrying 14 people. Two were rescued and one body was retrieved. Eleven people still remain missing.
In early January, the Tunisian Coast Guard arrested 16 Egyptian fishermen on 23 December for fishing within Tunisia’s maritime territory.
In December, other fishermen were found guilty of trespassing in Tunisia’s maritime territory and were released upon paying a fine ranging between $20,000 and $220,000.
