RAMANATHAPURAM
Sri Lankan Navy personnel arrested nine country boat fishermen and seized their two vessels on a charge of trespassing into the territorial waters of the island nation when they were fishing on the high seas on Monday.
Reports received here said the fishermen were on the high seas northwest of Delft island when the personnel on a fast gun boat attached to the northern naval command of Sri Lankan Navy arrested them.
Two ‘dhows’ used by the fishermen were taken into the custody of the navy, the reports said. The arrested fishermen were taken to the naval station at Uthtara and later handed over to the office of the Fisheries Inspector in Jaffna, the reports added.
This comes close on the heels of the arrest of 13 fishermen by the Lankan navy on the night of February 20 and five other fishermen on February 21.