Six Sri Lankan fisherman arrested for fishing in Indian waters

Six Sri Lankan fishermen were arrested on Thursday and their boat seized for allegedly fishing in Indian waters by the Indian Coast Guard, India media reported today.

This is second such incident this month.

According to an official release, the fisherfolks from Sri Lanka were illegally fishing in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone on March 16 and Indian Coast Guard ship Vajra while on maritime surveillance sighted their boat about 117 nautical miles south east of Kanyakumari.

The six-member crew was arrested for violating the Maritime Zone of India Act, 1981 and their fishing boat was impounded.

The crew was fully aware that it was poaching in Indian waters and the automatic identification system on-board the vessel was deliberately turned off, the release said.

The boat and the fishermen were brought to Tuticorin port and handed over to the Marine police for further investigation, PTI reported.