RAMANTHAPURAM: The Sri Lankan navy on Saturday late night arrested a total of 23 Indian fishermen from Rameswaram on charges of fishing near Neduntheevu by violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
Official sources said fishermen went fishing in 492 mechanised boats from Rameswaram. Of these, two boats consisting of 23 fishermen were fishing near Neduntheevu.
Noticing they were fishing by violating the IMBL, the Sri Lankan navy detained the fishermen and seized their boats. Later, they were taken to Jaffna for further proceedings.
In the first boat a total of 12 fishermen ventured into sea-- they were F Robert (40), J Johnson (44), K Samuvel (24), T Lenin (45), J Gopa (40), R Ranjith (42), A Listan (30), S Lavuson (40), K Ilango (50), V Ashon (19), S Shamuvel (27) and M Melson (24), all hailing from Thangachimadam.
In the second boat around 11 fishermen ventured who are identified as C John Britto (27), J Martin (23), K Mani (33), S Chidambaram (46), T Aron (46), V Sathish (21), D Subash Chandra Bose (35), A Sudhagar alias Susai Arulanandham (43), A Jerald Insusan (55), A Amul alias Arulanandha Baskar (34) and L Axal (22), who are also hailing from Thangachimadam.
The boats they traveled were belonging to A James and J Sagayaraj of Thangachimadam.