Ramanathapuram: The Sri Lankan Navy conducted a special operation on Tuesday evening, apprehending 18 Indian fishermen and seizing two Indian poaching trawlers in Sri Lankan waters.
The Sri Lankan Navy, in an official release, stated, “The Sri Lanka Navy conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters on the evening of January 16, 2024. The operation led to the seizure of two Indian trawlers, with 18 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters off Mannar.”
Following the apprehension, the Indian fishermen and the seized trawlers were brought to the Thalpadu Pier in Mannar. The Sri Lankan Navy announced that the fishermen would be handed over to the Talaimannar Fisheries Inspector for further legal action.
The arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have raised concern for both the Central Government and the Tamil Nadu state government. The issue has been a point of discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his visit to India in July.
The Sri Lankan Navy alleges that the Indian fishermen were poaching in Sri Lankan waters and were detained off the Kovilan Lighthouse in Kareinagar, Jaffna, before being brought to the Kankasanthurai harbor.
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