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Russia Seizes Japanese Boats on Poaching Charges

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - Five Japanese fishing vessels were seized Wednesday by Russia
   in the country's far east -- the latest in a series of incidents over
   fishing rights that lay bare a larger Russo-Japanese territorial
   dispute dating back to the end of World War II.

   The Japanese ships were fishing for octopus when they were overtaken by
   Russian border patrol investigating claims of illegal poaching in
   Russian waters, said Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga in
   comments on Wednesday.

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