Sri Lanka Navy apprehends 12 Indian fishermen

Ramanathapuram, April 3 : In yet another instance, the Sri Lankan Naval personnel on Sunday arrested 12 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and confiscated their mechanized fishing boat on the charges of illegal poaching in their territorial waters. Tamil Nadu fisheries officials said here said that the incarcerated fishermen hailed from Rameswaram were arrested by Sri Lankan maritime forces while fishing on high seas close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The Sri Lankan Navy in a statement claimed that they had mounted a special operation this morning to chase away a large number of Indian trawlers poaching in Lankan waters Northeast of the Delft Island in Jaffna. Having spotted a large cluster of Indian trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the Navy deployed a Fast Attack Craft of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla, attached to the Northern Naval Command to chase away the trawlers. In this operation, one Indian trawler remained in Island waters was held along with 12 Indian fishermen and their fishing gear. The arrested fishermen along with the impounded trawler was taken to Mailadi fishery harbour at Kankasanthurai, where they were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Jaffna through Regional Director, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Northern Region for onward legal action. This was the 10th incident of arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy so far this year. With this, 115 Indian fishermen and 16 fishing trawlers were taken into captivity by Sri Lanka for unlawful poaching in its waters. GSM CS1242

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