Indian authorities Friday said that they have arrested all 35 people, including foreign nationals, on board a US ship which was detained last week at a port in the southern state of Tamil Nadu for straying into this country's waters and illegally carrying arms.

"A special force of the state police arrested all the 35 people on board Seaman Guard Ohio, a floating armory, in an early morning raid. They are all crew members of the ship, who are being interrogated by senior officials," a police official said on condition of anonymity.

All of them have been booked for various offenses, including under the Arms Act, he added.

The ship was intercepted by India's maritime guards off the coast of Tamil Nadu Saturday night and then escorted to Tuticorin port where it has been detained. Some 30 assault rifles and over 5, 000 rounds of ammunition were seized from the vessel.

The crew members include two Ukrainians, six Britons, 14 Estonians, and 12 Indians. As some foreign nationals were arrested, the police had earlier informed their respective embassies in the national capital.

The vessel is owned by a US-based firm AdvanFort, a company that provides maritime security services to protect ships from pirate attacks. It is registered in Sierre Leone.