Chennai: Twenty-six Sri Lankan fishermen were arrested over the past two days for allegedly illegally fishing in Indian waters, taking the total of Lankan Nationals arrested in the last ten days to 82.
A Defence release said in a sea-air co-ordinated operation, Coast Guard ships ICGS Vishwast and ICGS Rajshree arrested the 26 fishermen from two locations -- one batch off Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and another off Puducherry coast on December 4 and 5, it said.
Their five boats were seized under various sections of Maritime Zones of India Act, 1981, it said. All the boats with the arrested Lankan fishermen are being towed to Chennai to be handed over to Tamil Nadu Police, it added.
The incident is the latest in the series of arrests of Lankan fishemen by Indian Coast Guard for allegedly illegally entering and fishing in Indian waters.
