17 Indian fishing poachers and 2 steel hull bottom trawlers were arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) patrol craft.
The arrest was reported to have been made in the evening yesterday (22) in the Northern territorial waters off Nagar Kovil.
The SLN and SLCG patrol craft attached to the Northern Naval Area detected the two Indian fishing trawlers which were 16.8 nm and 14.6 nm off respectively, whilst on a routine patrol.
The fishermen were engaged in bottom trawling at the instance they were apprehended.
The arrested fishermen, fishing trawler and their fishing gear were subsequently brought to the naval base of Kankesanthurai.
The arrestees are to be handed over to the Jaffna Assistant Director of Fisheries for onward legal action.
