Sri Lankan navy arrests 21 Indian fishermen for poaching in its territorial waters

COLOMBO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's navy arrested 21 Indian fishermen who were poaching in the country's territorial waters on Saturday night, the navy said in a statement on Sunday.

The arrests were made during a special operation to chase away Indian trawlers poaching near the Delft island in northern Sri Lanka, and the navy also seized two trawlers that the Indians were traveling in, the statement said.

The seized trawlers and the 21 Indian fishermen were brought to Kankesanthurai Harbor, and they will be handed over to the local authority for onward legal proceedings, the navy said.

With this arrest, the navy has seized a total of 18 Indian poaching trawlers and 146 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters so far in 2024, the navy said.