The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 23 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seized three boats for allegedly crossing the international maritime border on Saturday.
These fishermen were fishing near Neduntheevu Island when a Sri Lankan Navy patrol boat surrounded them. The arrested fishermen were taken to the Kankesanthurai Naval Camp and will be handed over to the Jaffna Fisheries Department authorities.
In a similar incident in October, 16 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the maritime border, and their boats were seized. In response to the arrests, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging diplomatic intervention.
Stalin expressed concern over the increasing detentions of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, highlighting the distress these incidents caused to their families, and called for prompt diplomatic action to prevent further arrests.