22 more fishers from Tamil Nadu & Karaikal arrested by Lankan Navy

NAGAPATTINAM:  In yet another case of fishers’ arrest, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 22 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Karaikal on Thursday while they were fishing southeast of Kodiyakarai. Among the 22 fishermen, 12 are from Nagapattinam, five from Mayiladuthurai, and five from Karaikal.

According to sources, around nine fishermen left Nagapattinam Fishing Harbour in a boat on Saturday last (February 19). Among them, five hailed from Keechankuppam, two from Nambiar Nagar, one from Akkaraipettai, and one from Mayiladuthurai district’s Chandirapadi.

The incident took place when they were fishing at the southeast of Point Calimere (Kodiyakarai) past midnight on Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested them. A few hours later, the Lankan Navy arrested another 13 fishermen. Among them, five were from Kottucherrimedu of Karaikal district, three from Akkaraipettai, and one from Nambiar Nagar of Nagapattinam district.

There were four more from Mayiladuthurai district. They had left Karaikal Fishing Harbour in a boat on Wednesday and got arrested within 24 hours.

An official from the Fisheries Department said, “We have sent reports to the governments concerned (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), which would reach out to the Union government. We are advising the fishermen not to venture into waters near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).”

The Navy took the arrested fishermen to Myliddy Fishing Harbour, where the Fisheries Department impounded their vessels for allegedly crossing the IMBL and Sri Lankan waters. Later, the fishermen were produced before a Magistrate at Kayts (Oorkaavatthurai) in Jaffna district. 

The magistrate, on Thursday, remanded them to judicial custody for ten days. They were lodged in Jaffna Prison, said sources.