Sri Lanka frees nabbed Chinese trawler crew

"We have released the Chinese nationals," navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.

The trawlers were escorted to the eastern port of Trincomalee after they were nabbed yesterday 15 nautical miles off the coast of Batticaloa.

However, two Sri Lankan crewmen alongside the Chinese nationals on board the trawlers were taken before a magistrate and released on bail of 100,000 rupees each.

The Chinese nationals were not produced before the magistrate. They had already been released by the navy.

Authorities said the Chinese crew were employed by Sri Lankan owners of the trawlers.

They had license for deep-sea fishing but came to be arrested as they were fishing nearer to the coast.