Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard assisted the repatriation of five Sri Lankan fishermen released from Indian custody on Tuesday and brought them home.
The Indian Coast Guard in March arrested the five fishermen from Sri Lanka for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and poaching Indian marine resources near Kodiyakkarai in the district.
The repatriation of fishermen took place at the IMBL north of Kankasanthurai. Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Ameya' handed the five fishermen to the Sri Lanka Coast Guard's Fast Attack Craft CG 402.
The released fishermen were escorted by the Navy and Coast Guard to the Kankasanthurai harbor, and handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries in Jaffna.
The arrested fishermen earlier have said the group had set sail from Trincomalee harbor on February 28 and due to bad weather, has mistakenly sailed towards Indian territorial waters.
Comments