The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 74 Indian fishermen with their 18 vessels on Wednesday night on the charge of poaching in the Sri Lankan waters.
The fishermen from Rameswaram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Karaikal were fishing on the high seas, when the navy personnel from Talaimannar, Kankesanthurai, Kayts and Karainagar arrested them on the charge of poaching in the Sri Lankan waters, Indian media said.
Those arrested included 25 fishermen from Rameswaram and 50 fishermen from Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Karaikal with 13 boats, the sources said adding the Rameswaram fishermen were detained in Talaimannar, while the others were at Kankesanthurai.
Speaking to Daily Mirror online Navy Spokesperson Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said that the arrested fishermen and their boats were already handed over to the Fisheries Inspectors at Kankasanthurai and Thalaimannar Fisheries Port.