A total of 35 fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in the early hours of Monday (03) for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in Sri Lankan waters, Indian media reports state.
According to reports, the arrests took place near the northern coast of Sri Lanka when naval patrol vessels intercepted three mechanised boats belonging to Indian fishermen.
All three boats were seized along with the fishing gear.
Of those detained, 31 fishermen are residents of Nagapattinam district while the remaining four fishermen are from Ramanathapuram district.
Initial reports indicated that the detained fishermen were taken to the Kankesanthurai port.
They are expected to be produced before court once the necessary documentation and preliminary inquiries are completed.
The seized boats and equipment have been handed over to the fisheries department in Jaffna for further legal proceedings.
(With Agencies inputs)
