BANGKOK, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The elusive crocodile, spotted in several popular beaches in southern Thailand's Phuket, was caught on Sunday after 11 days of search.

The public relations department of Phuket government said the female reptile, 2.5 meters in length, was scooped into a large trawl net off a beach on the west coast of Phuket on Sunday morning.

The crocodile is now being taken to the Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre.

The department said the crocodile has been illegally raised as the crocodile catching team failed to find any marks of registration.

The seafaring crocodile was first spotted on July 18. Crocodile catching teams launched search operations, sightings and used drone photos, together with clues offered by local people to locate it.

Owners of crocodiles in Phuket are required to register them with the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office till August 10, 2018, or they will face imprisonment for a jail term not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding 10,000 baht (about 303 U.S. dollars) , or both.