NAGAPATTINAM: Fishermen from the district continued to encounter armed pirates, allegedly from Sri Lanka, at sea for a second consecutive night as five different groups complained of the latter robbing them while fishing southeast of Kodiyakarai on Wednesday night. With this, the number of such mid-sea attacks reported since Tuesday night rose to nine.
A group of fishermen from Vellapallam and three groups from Seruthur complained of having encountered such armed gangs on motorised boats on Wednesday night. Unlike the instances of confrontation reported the previous night, the pirates robbed the fisher groups of more than just their nets.
Brandishing weapons like long bladed knives, the pirates demanded the latter to part with their equipment like GPS, battery and transceiver besides the fishing nets and the catch. Fearing assault, the fishermen relented, sources said.
Returning to shore on Thursday morning, the fishermen groups narrated their ordeal to the representatives of their respective fisherfolk panchayat as well as the fisheries department and the Coastal Security Group.