Sri Lankan Navy arrests 47 Indian fishermen, five trawlers seized

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As many as 47 Indian fishermen were arrested and their five trawlers seized on Thursday at Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka for alleged illegal fishing in the island nation's waters, the Navy here said.

The arrests were made during coordinated patrols conducted in the Mannar and Delft sea areas.

The 47 arrested fishermen and their equipment will be handed over to the fisheries inspectorate in the north for further action, the Navy said.

The Naval command operation to arrest them began late last night and lasted until the early hours of Thursday, Navy spokesman Commander Buddika Sampath told PTI.

The fishermen issue remains a contentious one in the India-Sri Lanka bilateral ties, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

Last month, 12 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boat seized near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.