COLOMBO- Forty-seven Indian fishermen were arrested and five of their trawlers seized in northern Sri Lanka's Talaimannar on Thursday. They are accused of illegal fishing in the island nation's waters.
The arrests were made during a coordinated patrol in the Mannar and Delft sea areas.
The Navy said the 47 fishermen and their equipment arrested will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspection Office in the Northern Region for further action.
Navy spokesperson Commander Budhika Sampath told PTI that the naval operation to arrest them began late last night and continued till Thursday morning.
The fishermen issue remains a contentious issue in India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations. In several incidents, Sri Lankan naval personnel have allegedly opened fire on Indian fishermen in the Pak Strait and seized their boats when they illegally entered Sri Lankan territorial waters.
Last month, 12 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boat seized near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.