Sri Lankan navy arrests 32 Indian fishermen for poaching in its territorial waters

COLOMBO, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's navy arrested 32 Indian fishermen who were poaching in the country's territorial waters on Wednesday night, the navy said in a statement on Thursday.

The arrests were made during a special operation to chase away Indian trawlers poaching off Talaimannar and near Delft Island in northern Sri Lanka, the navy said.

The navy also seized five trawlers that the Indians were traveling in, the statement said, adding that the seized trawlers and the Indian fishermen will be handed over to the local authority for onward legal proceedings.

With this arrest, the navy has seized a total of 23 Indian poaching trawlers and 178 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters so far in 2024, the navy said.